Partners
by FireBug430
Summary: When Boone is chosen once again to act as Captain, Tyler is reassigned.  As if that's not bad enough, Tyler's new partner just happens to be Rabbit's sister.  First fic, so please be gentle.
1. Chapter 1

"Listen up, people!" Captain Basra boomed. "I've got an announcement to make."

As all of the crews gathered in, an air of uncertainty and concern settled over the ambulance bay. Something was up. Something big and probably bad.

"I'm sure that you all know about my recent health concerns." Basra continued. "Well, it turns out that I'm not quite out of the woods yet. Effective Thursday, I will be on medical leave until further notice. Which means that you will have a fill-in supervisor during that time." He paused for a moment to let his words sink in before continuing. "That said, I have decided that Cameron Boone will take my place until I return. Should something happen…well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Any questions?"

"What am I supposed to do for a partner?" Tyler demanded. He was _not_ happy about this. What was he supposed to do without Boone? And how could Boone do this to him? Again!

"Your new partner will be here at shift change Thursday morning." Basra answered. "Anyone else?"

No one answered.

"Carry on."

Tyler stood in stunned amazement. Boone shifted uneasily beside him, but he barely noticed. He was going to have a new partner. Thursday! As in three days from today!

"I'm sorry, man-" Boone started, but Tyler cut him off.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "What the _hell_, Boone! You're tradin' in the rig for a _desk_? Again? You're tradin' in _me_ for a _desk_? Again? I thought we were done with this Captain crap!"

"Tyler-"

"When were you gonna tell me? Thursday morning when I walk in to find whoever this person is in _my_ truck?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Boone shot back. "I've managed this place before. He asked me to do it again and I said yes. I was gonna tell you."

"When?"

"I…hadn't gotten that far yet."

Tyler stared daggers at his partner, "Well that's just _frickin'_ great, Boone."

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Thursday came all too soon. Boone had gathered Nancy, Glenn, Tyler, Rabbit, and Marisa in the break room as soon as they'd come in that morning. Tyler hadn't said a single word since he'd stalked into the ambulance bay, blue eyes blazing.

"Has anybody seen the new guy?" Glenn asked.

No one answered.

"There's a truck in the parking lot I've never seen before." Marisa offered. "Gray Ford Ranger, South Carolina tags."

Rabbit perked, "South Carolina?"

"Yeah." Sensing a change, Marisa looked closely at her partner, "You know anybody from South Carolina?"

Before Rabbit could answer, Boone leaned into the break room from the doorway, "Rabbit, can I see you for a minute?"

The flight medic shrugged and followed Boone out into the hallway and up toward the office, "What's up?"

"I wanted you to meet her first." Boone explained, "She says she knows you."

"She?" Rabbit grinned, "Wow. I didn't know I was _that _popular. Does she _know_ me or does she know _of _me?" As they rounded the corner, he froze.

She stood in the hallway outside Boone's office, nervously twisting a strand of light brown hair. She smiled shakily as Boone came around the corner with Rabbit in tow. Seeing the stunned look on Rabbit's face, she opened her arms, "Surprise?"

In a blur of movement, Rabbit closed the distance between himself and the woman and scooped her up in a bear hug. "I missed you so much, Jo." he whispered, voice trembling as he kissed her cheek.

"I missed you, too, Reu."

"I'm sorry."

"Me, too."

Boone smiled to himself as he watched the reunion. He hadn't seen Rabbit's sister since the aftermath of the accident that had claimed Terry and Rotor, and he also knew that Rabbit hadn't seen her either. She'd told him that when she'd been hired and had asked to see her brother before anything or anyone else. Boone wasn't sure what exactly had happened between them, but from the looks of things, it seemed to be forgotten.

Rabbit pulled away slowly and held her at arm's length, looking her up and down. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll tell you later."

Something in her tone worried him, "What happened, Jo?"

"Rachel's dead."

"Oh, no." He pulled her back into a tight hug, "When?"

"About a week after I went back home from here last year." She fought to control her emotions, "I'll tell you about it later, okay?"

"Okay." He let her pull away before turning to face Boone. "Why didn't you tell me they were hirin' my sister, man?"

Boone shrugged, "She asked us not to."

"I wanted to surprise you." Jo explained.

Rabbit shook his head as he took her hand and led her back down the hallway, "I'm surprised all right." He felt like he was floating. He couldn't believe Jo was here. After what had happened between them, he couldn't believe she'd even applied with SSFD knowing that he worked there. And yet, here she was, acting like nothing had happened. Part of him felt awful for being responsible for their fallout, but the other part of him was so happy to have her back that the awful-feeling part took a backseat.

"You wanna introduce her to everyone?" Boone asked.

"Yeah." Rabbit chuckled as he turned his attention back to Jo, "You have _got_ to meet my partner!"

Boone smiled as he followed the siblings back to the break room. _Well, _that _went better than I planned._ he thought, _Now all I have to do is take her to Tyler._

All eyes were on Rabbit as he entered the break room with Jo.

"Guys, this is my sister, JoAnn Wheeler." Rabbit pointed to each person as he named them, "That's my partner, Marisa, that's Glenn, you remember his partner, Nancy, you've already seen Boone again, and-" He stopped at Tyler's empty seat, "Well, that _was_ your new partner, Tyler. You met him last year, too. He's not real thrilled with being reassigned."

Jo shrugged, "Understandable."

"How've you been?" Nancy stood and gave her a hug.

Jo returned the hug, "I've been. What about you?"

"Makin' it." Nancy pulled away and motioned to Glenn, "I've been trying to teach this one a thing or two since we last saw each other."

Glenn stood and shook Jo's hand, "Guess I'm not the Probie anymore."

" 'Fraid you're wrong there, kiddo." Jo pointed to the word 'PARAMEDIC' on her badge, "I've done my time."

"Since when do you have a sister?" Marisa asked, also shaking Jo's hand.

"Since I was four." Rabbit answered.

"No offense, but you two don't look anything alike. Or _sound_ anything alike."

"We're half-" Jo started to explain, but Rabbit cut her off.

"We grew up on different coasts, okay?" Rabbit hastily interjected, "Long and complicated story."

"So you're the one from South Carolina?" Glenn asked.

Jo nodded, "Yep."

"Nice truck you got outside."

"Thanks."

Rabbit tugged at Jo's hand, "C'mon, I'll show you around."

Jo laughed as he pulled her out of the break room.

Boone followed them quietly, wondering how Tyler would react to Jo. He knew his friend well enough to expect resistance.

"Locker room, bedrooms, restrooms, storage, supply room, more storage, somebody's office…" Rabbit pointed to each room as he led her to the ambulance bay.

Tyler was already busy checking out the ambulance when he heard footsteps behind him. He pretended not to notice. Two sets. Maybe three? Yes, three…one of them was Boone. One set was Rabbit. Why was Rabbit there? The other was…

"You must be Tyler."

He cringed. The voice was _female_! _You have _got _to be kidding me!_ he thought. "Who wants to know?" he asked, not bothering to turn around.

"Tyler, this is your new partner." Boone said.

"Nice to meet you." Without stopping to acknowledge anyone, he opened up a compartment and quickly counted its contents.

"Tyler." Boone's voice was stern.

He sighed and slowly turned around.

She was pretty at least. Long, light brown hair pulled up into a ponytail, camo Mossy Oak sunglasses perched atop her head, blue eyes, tan skin, tall…

He'd seen her before. The recognition startled him. He'd seen her this morning! He'd seen her at least once every day since Monday! She was his new neighbor from across the hall! She was the one whose nephew he'd helped haul her furniture from a U-Haul up to her apartment! He'd seen her somewhere else, too. But where? And then, it hit him. She was Rabbit's sister. Why hadn't he recognized her sooner? What was her name? He had to think hard before it came to him: JoAnn. JoAnn Wheeler, but she went by Jo. Crap. Of all the people to be stuck with!

"Tyler Briggs." Jo smiled, "It's been a while."

"Yeah. It has." He shook her outstretched hand, frowning when he saw her badge. "You're a medic?"

"I am. Boone told me you passed Boards not too long ago."

"Yeah." He looked to Boone, "Why is there a paramedic standing in front of me instead of an EMT?"

Boone shifted his weight from one foot to the other, "Apparently the Powers That Be like the idea of a dual-medic truck. Captain Basra hired her before he went on leave; I didn't have anything to do with it."

"Wonderful." He whirled around and went back to checking out the ambulance, slamming compartments shut as he inspected them.

"I got this." Jo assured Rabbit before climbing into the back of the truck, "Here, let me help you."

"I'm almost done, you don't have to help." He tried to stay on the opposite side of the box with his back to her. From the corner of his eye, he saw Boone and Rabbit leaving the bay.

"I always help. It's not fair for one person to have to do all the work."

He didn't have a reply for that.

"Look, Tyler, I know you're not happy about this. Boone told me all about it, and about you. This whole situation is temporary, okay? Six to eight weeks max, and I'll be out of your hair and on another rig. I'm going to try to make this as painless as possible. All I ask is that you do the same."

He was silent for a moment, "So Boone told you about me, huh?"

"Some, yeah." She began checking compartments, familiarizing herself with their ambulance.

"Did he tell you that I was…out?"

"No." _Though that would've been very helpful. _she thought. " What you do outside of here is none of my business, anyway."

"I hope it won't be a problem."

She could tell by the tone of his voice that he _did_ hope it would be a problem. "Like I said; six to eight weeks."


	2. Chapter 2

After two and a half weeks, it was becoming glaringly apparent that Tyler and Jo were _not_ getting along.

"It's not _my_ fault _you_ got lost!" Jo yelled.

"Yes, it is!" Tyler argued.

"How?"

"You get me nervous with all your gasping and telling me to slow down and watch out!"

"I'm not used to so much traffic yet!"

"Well, _get_ used to it! You ain't in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!"

The angrier they got, the more their accents came out. By now, they had begun to drawn a crowd.

"I _know_ that! I just hate heavy traffic!"

"This is San _Francisco_! There's _always_ heavy traffic! If you don' like it, go da hell home!"

"Believe me, I'd love _nothin'_ more!"

"Why'd jou come out here, anyways?"

"That _ain't_ none 'uh yer business, Cajun!" She spun around and began to stalk off.

Tyler said something in French Cajun, which made Jo whirl around and throw herself at him.

"You nasty son'bitch!" she roared, fist pulled back, ready to tear him apart.

In the next three seconds, Rabbit grabbed Jo from behind, spun her out of his way, and used his remaining forward momentum to fill his fists with the front of Tyler's shirt as he hefted the other medic up and slammed him into the side of the nearest ambulance. The resounding _boom!_ silenced the entire bay. "I _really_ hope I misinterpreted what you just said." Rabbit growled through gritted teeth, his face inches from Tyler's.

"Rabbit, let him go!" Glenn pleaded as he and a few others pried the two men apart.

"What's going on here?" Boone shouted, pushing through the crowd.

Rabbit glared at Tyler, "Don't you _ever_ talk to my sister like that again." He pushed past Boone, who grabbed his arm. "Lay off, Boone."

The dangerous tone of Rabbit's voice made Boone draw his hand back without hesitation. He watched Rabbit stalk out of the bay pulling Jo by her wrist before turning his attention to Tyler, who was straightening his shirt, "What did you do?"

"Hit a nerve, apparently." Tyler replied, trying to sound unshaken.

"Clear out, all of you!" Boone waited until the crowd had dispersed before he spoke again, "What was that about?"

"I can't stand her, Boone! All she does is criticize my drivin'!"

"_I've_ criticized your driving for years." Boone took a step toward his former partner, "I don't have time for your temper tantrums. This'll all be over soon, and I'd really like for it to go as smoothly as possible. So shut up and do your job."

"Yes, _sir_." Tyler snapped before storming off into the parking lot.

Boone sighed heavily, "Why me?"

/

Jo forced herself not to jump as a cup of McDonald's hot chocolate plopped onto the table in front of her the next morning. "What's this?" she asked, eyeing Tyler as he sat down across from her.

He shrugged, "Peace offering."

She barked a laugh, "Peace offering? You're not sorry, you're just afraid of Rabbit."

"I _am_ afraid of Rabbit. But, I do feel bad for what I said yesterday. It was low."

"That's for damn sure." She removed the lid and sniffed the steaming brew suspiciously, "There ain't no Ex-Lax in here, is there?"

"No. I didn't think of it in time."

She shook her head, "You're an ass, Tyler."

"Yeah, well, you're a bitch, so I guess that makes us even."

"Guess so." She pulled an energy drink from one of her pants pockets and sat it on the table in front of him, "Here."

"What's this?"

"Peace offering."

"You didn't shake it up, did you?"

"No, I didn't think of it in time."

Cautiously, he opened the can. Nothing happened. Relieved, he took a swig, "Were you really gonna hit me?"

"Among other things, yes." Slowly, she took a sip of the hot chocolate, trying to detect any foreign flavors.

"Where'd you learn to speak French Cajun?"

"A group of us went down to Louisiana after Katrina to help out. I learned a few things while I was down there."

_And then taught them to Rabbit._ he finished. "I see."

"Um…" Glenn started from the kitchen doorway.

"Hey, Glenn." Jo smiled.

"Hey. Boone wants to talk to everybody. It's about Captain Basra."

As she and Tyler rose from the table, Jo could feel the tension radiating from Glenn. He knew as well as she did what this "talk" was most likely going to be about. They walked to the ambulance bay in silence.

Boone was standing in front of a crowd, his face grim. He waited until the trio came to a stop before speaking, "Listen up, people. I've got some bad news."

Silence settled throughout the room as all eyes focused on him.

He took a deep breath, "Captain Basra's not doing too well. He's…retiring."

"What?" Tyler exclaimed.

"What's goin' on with him?" Rabbit asked.

"I don't know." Boone answered honestly. "He didn't give me a lot of information. He just said his tests came back bad and he thought it was time for him to step down."

"So…does that mean you're in charge?" Glenn asked.

Boone took a deep breath, "Until further notice, yes."

"_Un_believeable!" Tyler stormed out of the bay.

"Want me to go after him?" someone asked.

"No." Boone sighed, "Let him go. He'll be okay."

"Congratulations." Nancy offered.

"Thanks, Nance." Boone looked like the weight of the world had just been put onto his shoulders, "I think."

Author's Note: Yay, first two chapters! What'd ya think? Jo and Rachel are my creations, not NBC's, by the way. Please review, but go easy on me. :)


	3. Chapter 3

She found him on the roof of the building, staring out at the city. He didn't acknowledge her presence as she came to a stop beside him. "Looks like we're back to square one." she quietly said.

"Yep."

"If you want me to be reassigned, I can ask Boone if-"

"I don't _want_ another partner. I want Boone back. We've been partners forever. Running without him is like running without my right hand."

"I'm sorry. I know how that feels."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do. You wanna know why I came across the entire country to work here?"

He didn't respond.

"My partner died a week after I came home from trying to take care of Rabbit after the accident. We'd been best friends since we were babies. Her name was Rachel."

He looked at her for the first time since she'd come to him, "Oh, wow. Can I…ask what happened?"

"Shot three times in the chest by an idiot who was high on meth. All we were tryin' to do was treat his girlfriend after he'd beaten the crap out of her."

"Where were the cops?"

"Outside smokin'."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Rachel never had a chance. She was dead before she hit the floor." Her voice wavered and she had to stop for a minute, "I couldn't stay after that. I tried, but I was useless. I needed to start over, and California was about as far away as I could run without leaving the lower forty eight."

He shook his head, "Man. And here I am whining about being reassigned. At least Boone's not dead."

Jo shrugged, "Part of it, I guess."

Carefully, he put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry."

"Me, too." She took a breath, "The week after Rachel's funeral, I found out I had cervical cancer. So, in a month's time, I lost my brother, my best friend and partner, and my ability to have children. It was too much. My life was in a million pieces and I couldn't put them back together. I needed to start over. I needed a place where people _can_ start over. California is my start-over place. Do you understand now?"

He _did_ understand. California had been his start-over place, too. "Yeah." Several moments of silence passed before Tyler spoke again, "So, what's the deal with you and Rabbit? I heard you two had a falling out after the accident."

"It was somethin' like that. I dropped everything and came out here as soon as I got the phone call. I tried to help him after he woke up, but I didn't know what to do and…he just wasn't the same. Survivor's guilt and PTSD, I guess. We got into it one night and he told me to pack my bags and leave. So I did. The day I came here was the first time we'd seen or spoken to each other in over a year."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"So…how are you two brother and sister? You don't really look it."

"At one point in time, Rabbit and his dad moved a lot. His dad and my mom hooked up one night while they were living in South Carolina. Nine months later, I came along. Rabbit was four when I was born. Our folks tried to make it work, but it just didn't. I think they were together for five years. My mom refused to list my last name as Palchuck, which I think was part of the problem. After Rabbit's dad died, Rabbit went to live with his grandma. She got sick not too long after that and had to go to a nursing home, so he came to live with us. By then, my mom had remarried and had another child – my nephew Jason's mom, Caroline. Rabbit never bonded with Caroline like he did with me. After he graduated high school and turned eighteen, he moved back out here. I wanted to come with him, but I was only fourteen. We kept in touch, though."

Tyler shook his head, "And I thought my family was messed up."

"Yeah. Don't tell Rabbit I told you any of this, okay? It's kind of raw still. And he doesn't know I had cancer."

"Okay. …I'm sorry I've been such a dick. I'm not usually like this, I promise."

"I know. I remember how you were when we met last year. I'm sorry I've been such a bitch."

"You were only a bitch because I was a dick."

"Not gonna argue with you there."

Tyler laughed.

Jo held out her hand, "Partners?"

Without hesitation, he took it, "Partners."

/

Note: Jason and Caroline are my creations, too.


	4. Chapter 4

**One month later…**

Rabbit awoke half screaming, jolting upright in bed. Panting, he looked around his darkened bedroom, trying to get his bearings. Heart racing, he pushed a hand through his hair, "Just a dream." It seemed real, though. Too real. As he climbed out of bed and headed toward Jo's bedroom, he kept telling himself that it was just a horrible nightmare and that Jo would be in her bed sound asleep totally unharmed. He needed to see her anyway.

She was there, just like he knew she would be. He could see her lying on her side in the dim light that filtered through her curtains. She was asleep, not bleeding or injured or…anything. She was perfectly fine.

Sensing a presence nearby, Jo roused up and looked toward the doorway. For a split second, fear gripped her when she saw the dark figure standing in the threshold, but then she recognized the figure as Rabbit and relaxed. "What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up.

"Nothing. Just a bad dream. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay." She switched on her bedside lamp and scooted over to the middle of her bed, pulling back the blankets as she did, "C'mere."

He went to her, climbing into the warmth of her bed and settling down beside her.

She snuggled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder, smiling to herself as his arm automatically wrapped around her. "What was the dream about?"

He didn't want to tell her about it, but he knew there was no escaping. "I don't remember it all, but I do remember you being in some kind of office. Maybe it was a bank. You were…hurt. Bad. You'd been shot. Tyler was there, but…I think he was dead. You were trying to revive him, but you were bleeding too much. There was a man behind you with a gun. And then I woke up."

"Yeesh."

"Yeah." He wondered what would've caused such a nightmare. Maybe it was his fear of losing her again. Maybe it was guilt by not having been there for her when Rachel had died. _Maybe it's a premonition._ a voice in the back of his mind whispered.

Jo snuggled as close to him as she could and placed one hand over his still-racing heart. He covered it with his, and she couldn't help but notice a slight tremble. He was scared. Not much in this world scared her brother, but this nightmare had. "It's probably nothing."

"I hope so." He kissed the top of her head, fighting off a few fleeting images of the too-real scene. The subject needed to be changed. "This kinda reminds me of when we were kids. Do you remember the night you had a nightmare? I think you were four. You came to me instead of mom and dad. You crawled into bed with me, told me what had happened, and I held you just like this for the rest of the night."

She smiled, "I remember that."

"That was the coolest feeling in the world, knowing that you chose me over them. I know it sounds stupid, but when you're eight and your little sister comes to you for protection from closet monsters, it makes you feel like a man. I was your protector that night, and it was the greatest feeling ever."

"You'll always be my protector, Reu." She kissed his cheek, "I came to you because I knew you'd keep me safe no matter what. Mom and dad would've sent me back to my room."

_I wish I could've done a better job of keeping you safe. _he thought, holding her a little tighter. _I wish I could've done a lot of things better._ "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Go back to sleep. We've gotta work tomorrow."

"Yay us."

He chuckled and kissed her hair. After a few moments, she was gone. He reached over and switched off her lamp. Sleep wasn't going to come, and he knew it. So, he resigned himself to staring into the darkness and listening to her breathing. He hoped the nightmare had been just that – a nightmare. He hoped it was nothing. But, something inside him told him it wasn't just a nightmare. Something inside him said it was a vision of things to come. He shuddered and clung to Jo. No, sleep was definitely not coming tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

Boone was waiting for them in the parking lot as Jo pulled in. "We're in trouble." she grinned, looking over at Tyler, who sat in the passenger side jump seat of her truck.

He laughed, "Aren't we always?"

Rabbit shook his head as he climbed out of the passenger seat and pulled it forward so Tyler could crawl out from the cramped space behind him. Lack of sleep and a growing feeling of unease had made him unusually quiet this morning.

Jo hauled herself out of the driver's seat and waited until her passengers were out before locking the doors and activating the alarm.

"Like clowns in a Volkswagen." Boone teased as he sauntered over to the trio. "I didn't know you three were carpooling."

"Yeah." Tyler shrugged, "Gas is too high and we all live, like, ten feet away from each other, so we take turns. Why drive separately when we're goin' to the same place?"

"Good idea." Boone looked to Rabbit, "You still haven't filled out your change of address forms."

Rabbit waved a hand dismissively, "I'll get to it eventually."

"You'd better." He returned his attention to Tyler and Jo, "I need a crew tonight. You two up for a double?"

Tyler looked to Jo, who shrugged. "Sure."

"Do you care to pick us up in the morning?" Jo asked Rabbit.

"I'll be here." he assured.

"Okay. I'll leave my keys in my locker today incase we're on a run when your shift's up."

"Alright." He gave her a quick hug and kiss, "Gotta go."

"Be safe."

"You, too."

Boone watched Rabbit head for Angel Rescue for a moment before speaking again, "Thanks, guys. Tyler, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Taking her cue, Jo headed into the ambulance bay to start checking out the truck.

Boone waited until she was out of earshot. "So, how's it goin' with you two?"

"Great, actually." Tyler pushed his hands into his pockets, "I really like her. Not like you, but, y'know." He _did_ like working with Jo. It wasn't anything like working with Boone had been, but it was nice nonetheless. He liked Jo, too. She could be a firecracker, but what else could someone expect from Rabbit's sister? Despite the rough start, they had become pretty good friends.

Boone grinned, "Good. I was kinda worried there for a while."

"Yeah, that was my fault. We're over it now."

"That's great." He clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder as they started for the bay, "I miss being out here."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"I bet Sela's happy about your new job."

"Yeah, she loves it. It's a lot of work, though."

"You should ride along with us sometime. Jo won't care."

Boone chuckled, "I wish."

"Seriously. You could trade out with her."

"And let her run this place? I don't think so."

"Dude, if she can handle Rabbit, she can run this place with her eyes closed."

/

Jo hummed softly to herself as she wiped some grease from her hands with an old rag. She'd probably just saved SSFD at least $150 in labor costs by replacing a fried sparkplug that had _not_ wanted to come out. Tyler was rustling about inside the box, checking supplies. It was going to be a long day, but she needed the money. Having Rabbit living with her was helping a lot, but extra cash never hurt anyone.

Still standing on the bumper, she looked out over the ambulance bay and felt a sense of belonging. Yes, coming here had been a _very_ good idea. The rocky start had sucked, but everything was better now. She had a great partner who had become a good friend, wonderful – though sometimes quirky – colleagues, a good boss, a fantastic apartment, and most importantly, her brother. Having Rabbit back was by far the best part of her new life. For the first time in a long time, she was happy.

As she started to step down from her perch, her boot slipped and she pitched forward toward the engine. Before she could catch herself, strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her backwards against an unfamiliar chest.

"Easy now." Tyler said, lowering her to the concrete floor. "You okay?"

"Yeah. That's what I get for polishing my boots." Embarrassed, she waited until the flush had begun to leave her cheeks before turning around to face her partner. Her partner whose arms were still loosely wrapped around her waist, making them be _really_ close to each other.

He'd held her for far too long, and he knew it, but he couldn't bring himself to let her go. For a moment, he was transfixed as she looked up at him and her blue eyes darkened.

"I'm fine." she quietly said, breaking the spell.

His arms dropped to his sides as he took a step back and watched her close the ambulance's hood. Tension had grown suddenly, and he needed to break it as discretely as possible. "Where're we eatin' today, baby girl?"

"I don't care, Ty, as long as it's not that noodle joint."

He followed her around to the side of the rig, "What's wrong with the noodle joint?"

"Need I remind you of what happened the last time we ate at the noodle joint?"

The memory made him snicker, "Yeah, I remember."

"I'm glad we weren't busy that day."

This brought out laughter, "I'll buy you a bottle of Pepto-Bismol."

"Honey, Pepto-Bismol ain't gonna touch _that_." She started toward the nearest sink to wash her hands, "What about pizza?"

"Fine with me."

"Okay. I'll be right back."

Tyler leaned against the back doors of the ambulance and sighed. What had that been about? Why hadn't he just let her go instead of hanging on? It had to have looked like some kind of romantic moment to observers. Had it been a romantic moment? _You're gay, you idiot!_ he thought to himself, _You can't have a romantic moment with a woman if you're gay! …Right?_ A war of emotions began to rage inside him. He liked Jo. A lot. More than he wanted to admit to himself or anyone else. But, he was gay. So why did he like this woman so much? And why hadn't he had these feelings a year ago when they'd met in Rabbit's hospital room? Was it because they'd become friends? Or was it… No. No, he was _not_ going to let himself fall into this mess. He was gay. Gay men didn't crush on women. Period. Wait…crush? Did he _really_ just think that? A crush? On a woman? Him? No, he was gay. End of story. …So…why had holding her for those few brief moments felt so-

"What was that all about?"

He tried not to wince at the sound of Glenn's voice. Busted. Nonchalantly, he turned to face the inquisitive EMT, "What was what all about?"

"_That_. The whole holding thing. Are you two seeing each other?"

"Are you crazy? No! She slipped and I caught her, that's all." Seeing Glenn's skeptical look, he continued, "She's my partner. And my neighbor. It would be too weird."

"And she's Rabbit's hot sister." He looked over Tyler's shoulder at Jo, who was drying off.

"And _you_ are seeing Diana, so keep your eyeballs in your head. Besides, Rabbit's not gonna let anyone near her, especially one of us." So, Glenn thought Jo was hot. No real surprise there. Tyler hoped the mention of Rabbit's fierce protection of his sister would change this volatile subject.

"Why is he so protective of her, anyway?"

Yes! Successful change of subject! "If the only family member you had left was your little sister, wouldn't you be overprotective of her?"

Glenn considered this. "Yeah, I would." He looked closely at Tyler, "So you're _not_ dating her?"

"Dating who?" Jo asked, slowing to a stop beside Tyler.

"Probie here thinks we're dating." Tyler explained, sounding just as annoyed as he felt. Why had he been so stupid? Why hadn't he just let her go?

Irritation glimmered in Jo's eyes and seeped into her words, "Oh, _yes_, Glenn, Tyler and I are secretly dating each other and you just blew our cover." She pushed past him and headed for the driver's seat, "Grow up, Probie."

Tyler cast one last scathing glance at Glenn before going to the passenger side. He'd barely had time to sit down and strap in before Jo started the rig up and pulled out of the bay, leaving Glenn behind.

/

"Are you seeing anybody?"

Jo nearly choked on her pizza, "Do what?"

"Are you seeing anybody?" Tyler repeated.

She snorted, "No. I gave up on dating years ago."

He frowned, "Why?"

She shrugged, "It's hard to date with our schedule. You know that as well as I do."

"Yeah. It sucks, doesn't it?"

"Sometimes. I kinda like being alone, though. I don't have to answer to anybody, I don't have to be home at a certain time…"

"What about Rabbit?"

"Well..."

Tyler laughed, "So big brother gets a say now?"

She took a sip of her drink, "Only because he pays half the bills. And he worries."

"What's it like livin' with him?"

"Great. He helps out with housework quite a bit, believe it or not. He's a good cook, too. And it's nice to have another body moving around the apartment."

He nodded, chewing thoughtfully.

Jo suspected that Glenn's question was to blame for this awkward conversation. She didn't like being put on the spot, so she turned the tables. "What about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Eh, it's no big deal. Our work schedules conflicted all the time and he just…found somebody else, I guess."

"Dang, Ty, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

The radio crackled, "Dispatch to Medic 78."

They had their headsets on before the dispatcher finished her sentence.

"Go ahead, Dispatch." Tyler said.

"Need you to respond to South Second Street. Vehicle versus pedestrian. Pedestrian is a seven year old child."

Jo swore as she put the rig into gear, hit the sirens, and left a black streak as she pulled out into traffic.

Tyler fought the urge to cling to his seat, "Copy that, Dispatch, we're en route. Have Angel Rescue 2 on standby."

"Will do."

Before the dispatcher could contact Angel Rescue, Marisa's voice answered, "Angel Rescue 2 is on standby, Dispatch."

"Copy that, Angel Rescue 2." the dispatcher replied.

"Does no one watch their kids anymore?" Jo asked, whipping around a delivery van.

"Apparently not." Tyler watched the street signs as they whizzed by, "Next right."

Jo turned onto Second Street and groaned at the crowd of people that surrounded a taxi. Two police officers were trying to keep everyone back. "Fifteen thousand gawkers and nobody bothers to give first aid."

"Gotta love 'em. Medic 78 is on scene, Dispatch." He didn't wait for the dispatcher to reply as he unbuckled as soon as they parked, hurried out of the ambulance, and began pushing through the crowd with Jo right behind him, jump bag and backboard in hand, "Alright, folks, give us some room."

Jo took one look at the child and blanched. The poor thing had been hit with both the front and back tires. There was blood everywhere. Too much blood. Why was there so much… And then it hit her; the child had been hit by another vehicle. The taxi had probably been too close on the other vehicle to stop in time, and the other vehicle hadn't stopped at all. She hit her radio as she dropped to her knees beside Tyler, "Medic 78, Angel Rescue 2."

"Angel Rescue 2, go ahead." There was tension in Marisa's voice.

"Fly."


	6. Chapter 6

He followed the sound of sniffles into the locker room and found her at the sink, scrubbing the remaining tiny flecks of dried blood from her arms, her cheeks streaked with tears. For a few moments, he stood behind her, watching her rub her skin until it was a raw, angry red color. If he didn't do something soon, she would draw her own blood. "Jo." he softly said.

She froze at the sound of her name. "Sorry."

"For what?" He took a step toward her.

"For you seeing me like this." She sniffled, "I've never had a kid die on me."

"Never?" Two steps this time.

"Never. I've always been able to keep them alive until we got to the hospital. It…bothers me." Another sniffle, "I'll be okay. Just give me a minute." She rinsed the soap from her arms and toweled off.

Tyler moved to her side and opened his arms, "C'mere."

Jo studied him through tear-filled eyes before surrendering to her partner's embrace. She buried her face in his neck and shook with silent sobs.

He held her tight and slowly stroked her hair. "We did what we could, baby." he murmured, resting his cheek against her head.

"Doesn't make it any easier."

"I know." His eyes began to sting as tears filled them, but he blinked them away. He couldn't fall apart. Not here. Slowly, he leaned back against the lockers, braced his feet wide, and settled Jo between his legs. He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. She clung to him as though hanging on for dear life. Part of him hoped that no one walked in on them, but most of him didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Ty. …You shouldn't have to see me like this. Medics don't cry."

"Don't be sorry, baby girl. Kids are the worst part of this job." He held her tighter, "We did what we could."

Silence fell between them. Fortunately, no one came into the locker room. Tyler shuddered mentally at the number of rumors and pieces of gossip that would've undoubtedly been spawned if someone had walked in on them.

Finally, Jo calmed down. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and pulled away enough to look up into Tyler's eyes.

He smiled at her, "Better?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Ty." Without thinking, she planted a soft kiss on his lips. Immediately, she knew she had done something wrong, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." He caught her as she tried to back away, "Seriously. I…kinda liked it." The words surprised him, but the realization that he _had_ liked it floored him.

She frowned, "Really?"

"Yeah. I'd…kinda like to…" He tried not to blush, "…do it more often." Had he really just said that? Yes, he had. He had, and he'd meant it. In that moment, he decided to stop denying the truth.

"But I thought you were…"

"I am – I think. I don't-" he stammered, "I don't know anymore."

"You…" She shook her head, "What?"

"You've got me all messed up, Jo."

Jo's frown deepened, "All messed up?"

"Yeah. I…" He swallowed hard, "I am…_really_…attracted to you. I know that's weird coming from a gay guy and all, but I can't help it. Ever since we stopped fighting and started working together, I've become more and more caught up in you."

She cocked her head to one side, "What are you saying, Tyler?"

"This is totally new for me. I've always thought I was one hundred percent gay, but then you came along and now I don't know. I've never been attracted to a woman before. I've never really even wanted to _be_ with a woman before. Until you. Now I'm questioning everything I've ever believed in, and I feel like a babbling idiot, but…I was wondering…if maybe…you'd…possibly…maybe…" He took a deep breath, "…wanttobemygirlfriend?"

There was a long pause as she studied him closely, searching his face for…something. Her partner had just asked her out. Her _gay_ partner. She liked him a lot, but did he really want this? Did _she_ really want this? "Have you lost your mind?"

"Possibly."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah." There was no uncertainty in his voice.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really really?"

He grinned when he realized that she was joking around with him, "Really really."

She shrugged, "Okay."

_That _threw him for a loop. "Really?"

"Really."

"Cool." He stared down into her darkening blue eyes for a moment before asking, "Can I have another kiss?"

She smiled as she closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

His arms slid around her, holding her tightly. A small whimper escaped him as she deepened the slow, gentle kiss. The soft crush of her body against his felt good. Really good. Here he was, a gay man, kissing a woman and enjoying it. It was insane, but true. The closeness was beginning to do things to him that he'd never thought a woman could do. It was a little embarrassing – okay, it was _really_ embarrassing – but she didn't seem to mind.

Jo broke the kiss slowly, allowing them a moment to breathe. Her arms lingered around his neck. Their moment had stirred up feelings within her that had lain dormant for years. And, judging by the way Tyler was looking at her, it had gotten him all stirred up, too. "Ever had a woman, Ty?" she whispered huskily.

He hungrily brushed his lips over hers, "No."

"You're fixin' to." She pulled away, took his hand, and quickly led him down the hallway to an unclaimed bedroom, locking the door behind them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Two weeks later…**

"Your blood pressure is fine, ma'am." Jo said to the woman as she removed the blood pressure cuff from her arm. They had been called to the First National Bank to check out this woman, who was complaining of feeling dizzy and faint. "It's awful hot today. Do you think you could've gotten too warm?"

The woman, who was in her sixties, considered this. "Maybe. You have a bit of an accent, girl. Where are you from?"

"South Carolina, ma'am."

"I thought so. You're not as twangy as some Southerners I know."

Jo smiled, "Do you want us to take you to the hospital so they can get you rehydrated?"

"No, I don't think so. I think I just need to rest."

"Want me to get you a cup of water?" Tyler offered, feeling somewhat useless. His partner had a way with older patients that he had yet to master.

The woman nodded, "That would be nice. Thank you, young man." She watched him head for the water cooler near the door, "He's got a bit of an accent, too. Where's he from?"

"Louisiana." Jo answered, surprised that the woman could detect the accent that Tyler hid so well.

"I thought so. I was raised in Alabama. …I hate to cause a ruckus."

"Oh, honey, you're no trouble at all. Truth be known, I don't mind calls like this as much as some of the others do."

Tyler returned with the water, which the woman accepted gratefully. "We can stay here until you're feeling better if you'd like." He hoped she would decline, but he didn't want her to have a heart attack the minute they walked away, either.

"That would be fine, I suppose. Unless you have something else to do." she added quickly.

"We're free right now." Jo stood from her crouched position in front of the woman and took the seat beside her.

Tyler had started to lean against the stretcher when two men with black ski masks over their heads burst into the bank, guns at the ready.

"Everybody FREEZE!" one of them shouted, firing a warning shot into the ceiling.

The various patrons and employees didn't need to be told twice. They stopped where they stood, barely breathing, afraid to do so much as blink.

The man who had spoken first continued, "I want everybody out but you," – he pointed one black-gloved finger at the closest teller before pointing at Tyler and Jo – "and you two. Everybody else can leave."

"Turn your radio off." Jo whispered from the side of her mouth.

"Why?" Tyler asked.

"Just do it."

He turned his radio off and watched as she set hers to the all-channels frequency and opened the channel. Realizing that she was broadcasting the situation to everyone with a radio, he grinned. Help would be here soon.

The second man held the door open as a rush of people flooded past him.

The woman that sat beside Jo looked worriedly at the medic, who nodded. She squeezed her hand before standing and exiting the building. The door locked behind her.

"What is this, a joke?" Tyler demanded.

"No, it's a bank robbery." the first gunman snapped before turning to his accomplice, "Watch them. The cops'll be here sooner once they find out we've got two ambulance drivers."

The second man nodded.

"You, teller, take me to the vault."

Trembling, the young girl nodded as she headed for the stairway beside the desk.

"You know they've already hit the alarm." Jo said, watching the man start after the girl. "By the time you get what you came here for, this place will be crawling with cops."

He chuckled, "I've got hostages; they're not gonna try anything. And if the hostages are wounded, they'll do exactly what I tell them to." He didn't wait for his words to sink in before he swung his gun in a wide arc, spraying bullets along the wall.

Jo cried out and dropped to the floor clutching her stomach as she curled into a fetal position.

Tyler dropped beside her, ignoring the searing pain in his right side as he rolled her onto her back and pried her hands away from the blossom of blood that was soaking into her black uniform shirt.

"Watch them." the gunman repeated before following the teller down the stairs.

"Crap." Tyler grumbled, going for the jump bag that sat on the stretcher.

Skittish, the second gunman snapped a shot off over his head.

"Calm the hell down, you moron!" Tyler yelled, grabbing the bag and returning to his wounded partner. For the benefit of anyone who might be listening to Jo's open radio channel, he added "Your trigger-happy buddy just shot my partner!" Grabbing the collar of her shirt, he ripped it open easily, sending buttons flying. He tore open her undershirt next and quickly assessed the damage. One bullet had hit her, but it wasn't a through-and-through. Grabbing a handful of gauze pads, he ripped off their paper coverings and pressed them to the wound, desperately trying to slow the flow of blood.

"You're bleeding." Jo managed through gritted teeth.

"I know." Just about everything he needed to treat a wound like hers was in the ambulance. Holding pressure on it wouldn't work forever. There was morphine in their bag, but he doubted if their captors would allow him to get to it and administer it. He needed to get her out of here and to the hospital before she bled out, which meant he needed to figure out a way to get past the second man.

"Tyler-"

"I'll be okay. It's just a graze."

"Give me some gauze and pull up your shirt."

"No. I'll be fine." He hoped he would be, anyway; he could feel his blood soaking through his undershirt into his uniform shirt and trickling down into the waistband of his pants. It hurt like hell, but he couldn't let Jo know that.

"Tyler-"

"I'll be fine. I'm a lot more worried about you right now." He _had_ to get them out of here. The pain in his side was beginning to demand some serious attention.

Neither one of them noticed that the second gunman was standing behind Tyler until he spoke. "Tommy said we wouldn't hurt anybody." he half-whispered, voice shaking.

"If I don't get her out of here, she's gonna bleed to death." Tyler looked up at the masked man, "You have to let us go."

"I can't."

"You'll be charged with murder if she dies."

"Tommy said for me to watch you."

"I'm gonna ram that gun down your throat if you don't back the hell off and let us go!"

Angered, the gunman leveled his pistol with Tyler's head. "I'll kill both of you before you can turn around."

"Jason," Jo gritted, "put the gun down."

The man froze, recognizing her voice. He looked over Tyler's shoulder and gave a cry of surprise, "Aunt Jo!"

"What're you doin' here, Jason?"

Jason pulled his mask off and knelt beside Tyler. He was a handsome young man in his late twenties, and Tyler recognized him as the man that had been helping Jo move into her apartment. "I didn't see you, Aunt Jo, I swear." He reached for her, but drew back, trembling.

"Answer my question."

"I…" He faltered, "I got bills to pay."

"So do I, but you don't see me holdin' up a bank!" She inhaled sharply as a fresh stab of pain shot through her. "You've got a _family_, a wife and kids! What are you _thinkin'_?"

Jason hung his head, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it this time. Let us go, Jason. It'll be easier on you if you let us go."

He cast a worried glance at the stairway to the vault. The wail of sirens was drawing near. "If you hurry, you can get out."

"Pull that stretcher over here." Tyler ordered, preparing to pick up his wounded partner.

Jason clamored up to his feet and started for the stretcher.

"Jason, you idiot!" Tommy shouted, emerging from the stairway with a bag over his shoulder and the terrified teller in tow. "What're you doin'?"

"Tommy, you shot my aunt! We gotta let 'em go, man, please!"

"I oughta shoot _you_ for blowin' our cover!"

"Just kill each other and get it over with." Tyler grumbled to himself.

Big mistake. His attention now redirected, Tommy turned his steely eyes toward the pair, furious that his plan had gone awry. He pointed his gun at Tyler, "Stand up." When Tyler hesitated, he said, "Stand up or I'll kill your partner."

Casting a worried glance at Jo, Tyler put her hand over the bloody gauze in an effort to keep pressure on the wound and slowly rose to his feet. "Tyler…" Jo pleaded as she watched him stand.

At that moment, time slowed to a crawl. He saw the flash from the gun, heard the thunder of the shot, felt the incredible pain as the bullet tore into his body. He was falling in the next second, propelled backward by the force of the bullet. Distantly, he heard Jo scream his name as he fell. The cold tile floor rushed up at him. Shock was milliseconds behind that. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before; it was like his whole body was on fire. He couldn't breathe. The fire quickly turned to ice as shock began to take over. Jo's panicked face filled his rapidly-blurring vision. How she'd managed to get up, he didn't know. He felt both his uniform shirt and undershirt rip open, heard the tear of paper, and felt the pressure of gauze on his chest and side; she was trying to slow the bleeding.

Somewhere in the distance, there was another shot, followed by another scream and a thump. Jo hadn't made a sound that time, so it must've been the teller. As unconsciousness began to drag him under, Tyler heard Jo scream into her radio for someone to _please_ get the hell in there and help them before she ordered Jason to stop standing around and hand her some fresh gauze.

"Stay with me!" she ordered, "Don't you _dare_ close your eyes, Tyler Briggs!"

He tried to keep his eyes open, but he was suddenly _so_ tired. The medic part of his brain told him that he was in full-blown shock and he needed to fight it. He wanted to fight it, but he was so tired and so cold. All he wanted to do right now was take a nap. The medic side screamed at him to keep his eyes open and stay awake. He honestly tried. It didn't work.

"Tyler, I swear, if you close your eyes, I'm gonna-"

Darkness.

/

Note: Tommy can also be added to my list of creations.


	8. Chapter 8

He became aware of things slowly. The cool flow of oxygen into his nose, the dull ache of an IV in his arm, the soft beeps of various monitors, the tightness of stitches and bandages on his torso, the medicine-induced sluggishness of his mind and body, the too-bleached stench of a hospital…the warmth of a hand holding his. Gathering strength, he forced his eyes to open and his bleary vision to clear.

He was in the hospital, all right. ICU, to be exact. Turning his head slowly, he found Jo curled up in a recliner beside his bed, her fingers threaded through his. She wore a hospital gown over her uniform pants and had a small pillow pressed against her stomach. She looked uncomfortable. He closed his fingers around hers, squeezing gently.

Jo's eyes snapped open and she struggled to sit up without aggravating her wound. "Tyler!" she breathed.

He smiled at her, "Hey, baby."

"Oh, Tyler." With quite a bit of difficulty, she hoisted herself from the chair to his bed. From there, she leaned down and kissed him.

As he returned the kiss, he felt her lips begin to tremble. It wasn't long until hot tears began to drip from her cheeks to his. He wrapped his arms around her as best he could without aggravating his wounds or IV. Jo dissolved into sobs and he gently pulled her down to the mattress beside him and held her. "I'm here, baby, I'm here." he soothed, stroking her hair.

She clung to him, unable to control herself as the tension, fear, and emotions she'd been holding inside came out. Each sob sent a stab of pain through her stomach. She knew she needed to calm down, she knew she was making her wound worse, but she just couldn't stop. The last seven hours had been an absolute nightmare and an eerie reminder of losing Rachel. Images flashed in her mind - Tyler lying on the bank floor in front of her, bleeding beneath her hands; Nancy, Glenn, Boone, and Rabbit bursting through the doors with the police; Jason being taken into custody; the look of torment on Rabbit's face as he was torn between his sister and his friend; watching Boone and Rabbit load Tyler onto a stretcher while Glenn and Nancy tended to her; coming into this very room and seeing him for the first time...

He kissed the top of her head, "It's okay now, baby, I'm here. We're okay, and it's all over." He had to get her calmed down before she reopened her wound.

"I thought you were dead." she croaked.

"Me, too."

After several minutes' fight, Jo managed to calm down. Slowly, she propped herself up with one arm, wiped her cheeks, and stroked his face. "You saved me."

"No I didn't."

"Yeah, you did. I could've bled to death if you hadn't kept pressure on me."

"I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't think past you lying there." _And I couldn't figure a way out in time._ he added silently.

"That's all it took. The cavalry arrived a couple of minutes after you were…shot."

Tentatively, he touched the bandage on the left side of his chest, feeling the stitches in his right side pull with the movement. "Why am I not dead? Or at least short a lung?"

"I don't know. The bullet just stopped. You lost an awful lot of blood, though."

"So did you."

She smiled crookedly, "I'll live."

He caught her hand from his cheek and placed it over his heart, "I gotta tell you somethin', Jo."

"What?" His sudden seriousness worried her.

"This was a wakeup call. Both of us could've died, but we didn't. We've been given another chance and I don't want to screw it up. …This sounded a whole lot better in my head." He took a breath, steadying himself, "I know it's way too soon for me to be saying stuff like this, but after today, I can't put it off any longer. I love you."

"Oh, Tyler." Did he really mean that, or was it a reaction to their near-death experience? It _was_ way too early for the "L" word. The "L" word was a serious word to her. Was she ready for a serious relationship? Was she ready for the "L" word? His sincerity touched her, though. If he could be serious about this, so could she. Tenderly, she kissed him, "I love you, too."

/

Tyler awoke later and immediately noticed that Jo wasn't beside him. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was nearly five in the morning. Wondering where she could've gone, he looked to the side and breathed a sigh of relief.

Rabbit was stretched out in the recliner beside his bed with Jo tucked safely against his side, her head and one hand resting against his chest. A white hospital blanket covered most of her and part of him. Rabbit was stroking her hair lightly with one hand.

Tyler was touched by the rare display of tenderness by Rabbit. It was a very private moment in a very public place. As he watched, he caught sight of a single tear sliding down Rabbit's cheek, which the seasoned medic quickly wiped away. He made a small sound, grabbing Rabbit's attention.

Rabbit grinned when he saw Tyler. "Hey." he whispered, not wanting to wake his sleeping sibling.

"Hey."

"How do you feel?"

"I've been better."

He chuckled softly, "Yeah, I imagine you have." He paused for a moment, "Thanks."

Tyler frowned, "For what?"

"For saving Jo."

"Rabbit, I didn't do anything."

"You kept her from bleeding to death. I count that as life-saving."

"She did the same for me."

Rabbit was silent for another moment, "I lost her once. I can't live through losing her again. So…" He had to stop and swallow as his voice threatened to break, "Thank you for saving my sister."

"You're welcome."

"…I know about you two."

"You do?" Tyler tried to keep the panic from his face and voice. Of course Rabbit knew! He hadn't even thought about Rabbit when he'd asked Jo to be his girlfriend. He _really_ hoped Jo hadn't told him _everything_. The heart monitor behind him began to beep faster as his heart rate increased, and he mentally cursed the machine.

"Yeah. She told me about it that night."

What "it", exactly? He _really_ hoped "it" was just the boyfriend part. "Sooo…are you cool with it?"

Rabbit chuckled ruefully, "I don't think I'll _ever_ be completely 'cool' with anyone dating my little sister. But, since it's you and since I know where you live, I doubt we'll have any problems."

Although the words were said in a joking tone, Tyler knew there was a real threat behind them. The last thing he wanted was an angry Rabbit coming after him. Again. "I wouldn't hurt her for the world, Rabbit."

"I know. …I thought you were gay."

"I am."

"Then…" Rabbit frowned, "Why are you with Jo?"

"It's complicated." An awkward silence settled in the room before Tyler spoke again, changing the subject. "I'm glad whatever happened between you two is patched up now."

"So am I." Softly, Rabbit kissed the top of Jo's head. "She's all I've got, Tyler. I screwed it up once, screwed it up so bad I can't believe she still looks at me. After what I said to her, she's got every right to hate me. But she doesn't. She never did. She loves me just like she always has." He paused as he fought back the lump that had risen in his throat, "When I heard her open up that channel…when I heard those gunshots…I've never been so scared in my life. And when we got to the scene and I saw you lyin' there and her bleedin'… I've seen a lot of scary things in my life, but that…that was the worst. That was worse than Nancy and Glenn's wreck. …My sister and my friend in the same place, hurt bad, and there was nothin' I could do but try to get both of you out alive. I've never questioned myself as a medic more than I did yesterday."

_I bet you wouldn't have questioned yourself if you'd been in my place._ _I bet you would've known __exactly what to do. _Tyler thought as an image of Jo lying wounded on the floor of the bank flashed in his mind, _I bet you would've found a way out before the first shot was fired. _"…What happened to the robbers?"

"Jason – Jo's nephew – shot his buddy after you were hit. Killed him, but saved the teller. He's still in custody as far as I know."

"That'll be a tough trial."

"Yeah." He froze as Jo shifted slightly against him. She didn't move again, so he continued, "You should probably get some rest. I think they're gonna move you after lunch."

"I wish they'd discharge me. I hate hospitals."

Rabbit chuckled as he watched Tyler settle in his bed. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against Jo's, hoping that he would be able to catch some sleep before the doctors began making rounds.

"Hey, Rabbit?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For saving me."

"Just doing my job. …Tyler?"

"Yeah?"

"This conversation never happened."


	9. Chapter 9

Jo awoke to the warmth of a blanket and the comforting strength of her brother's arms. She could hear Tyler talking quietly to someone and decided to keep her eyes closed. She wasn't in the mood for conversation just yet. Rabbit was still asleep, breathing slow and deep, his arms wrapped protectively around her. She listened to his steady heartbeat, idly wondering who was in the room.

"Boone should be by after he gets off." Nancy half-whispered.

Jo managed to keep herself still at the sound of her fellow medic's voice. How would Rabbit react to seeing her here? She didn't know the details – and wasn't too sure she wanted to know – but she knew about Nancy's relationship with her brother. She also knew that Rabbit had seen her kissing Glenn, and that had _not_ gone over well. He hid his pain well, that was for sure. It was hard for Jo to act like she didn't know anything about it, but she had promised-

Rabbit's breathing changed and he sighed softly as he awoke. A few seconds later, tension filled his whole body. He had spotted Nancy.

Jo opened her eyes and raised her head slightly to let him know she was awake.

"I'm gonna step out for a minute or two." he whispered just loud enough to hear.

She nodded.

Carefully, Rabbit eased out of the recliner, catching the small pillow that had been resting between his hip and Jo's stomach. He helped her sit up and folded the recliner's leg rest back down incase she needed to get up. "Be right back." He kissed the top of her head and ducked out of the room without another word. Although his face had been a mask of calm, Jo had seen the storm of mixed emotions raging in his dark eyes.

Nancy watched Rabbit leave. She wished she could talk to him, tell him that she'd been _really_ drunk the night she'd kissed Glenn. Tell him how sorry she was and how much she missed him. Tell him how much he meant to her and how she'd fallen apart that horrible night when she'd finally made it home from the party and found all traces of him gone from her apartment. Tell him…something, anything.

This wasn't the same man, though. He was happy, happier than she'd ever seen him. Having Jo back had completely changed him. She had given him a reason to live again. Nancy wished she could've been the one to make him happy. Instead, she had hurt him. Would he _ever_ talk to her again?

"Hey, Nance." Jo said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hey. How do you feel?"

Jo laughed, then grimaced as pain arced through her stomach, "Truth or bull?"

Nancy smiled, "Truth."

"Like crap warmed over."

The other medic laughed, "Could be worse."

"Yeah. I could've woke up dead."

"Yeah." Nancy was quiet for a moment, still hung up on Rabbit, "He hates me, doesn't he?"

Jo had known this question was coming. "No. He's just…really hurt."

"Have you tried to talk to him?" Tyler asked.

Nancy looked miserable as she shrugged, "I'm lucky to get him to look at me."

"Give him time." Jo shifted uncomfortably in her chair, "He'll come around when he's ready."

/

The better part of the day was spent with a steady stream of visitors. Rabbit brought them fresh clothes, which had been greatly appreciated. Tyler was transferred out of ICU after lunch. Jo refused to leave him, and after a heated argument, the hospital staff finally gave up and let her share the room with her partner.

At the moment, Tyler was asleep. Jo had started running her fingers through his hair over an hour ago, and that had been all it took. They were alone for the time being – a welcomed reprieve.

Jo smiled as she watched the slow rise and fall of his chest. It was hard to believe that this man had once been the bane of her existence. It was even harder to believe that he was a gay man dating a woman. She had questioned and analyzed and dissected every aspect of their relationship – especially after he'd explained to her that he was still gay, not bi, a week after they'd started dating – until one day she gave herself a major migraine thinking about it, gave up, and decided to just go with it. Tyler seemed to be serious about their relationship, which was significant because he usually wasn't serious about much of anything.

He'd told her he loved her. The reality of that was still sinking in. It had been a long time since anyone other than Rabbit had told her they loved her. Her last boyfriend had told her he loved her. He'd also twisted her left forearm until the bones had snapped. Tyler wasn't like that, though. He would never hurt her physically, she was sure of it.

Still…she couldn't help but wonder…what had caused all this? When they'd first met after the accident, she'd thought he was cute, and funny, and just an all-around good guy. Definitely dateable despite the fact that they'd lived on different coasts. But, she'd always picked up on a strange vibe from him, which had turned out to be his relationship preferences. They'd literally hated each other during the first weeks of their partnership. When had that hate turned to attraction and then to…love? Did he _really_ feel that way? Did _she_ really feel that way? What happened when the novelty wore off? Would he cheat on her with a man? As more questions formed, so did a migraine.

There was a soft knock before the door opened and a couple entered the room. Tyler's parents had arrived. Would he tell them about her? How would they react? Did she really want to know?

As she heaved herself out of the recliner as gracefully as possible, Jo smiled politely through the pain of movement and extended her right hand, "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Briggs. I'm Jo, Tyler's partner."

"Nice to meet you." Mr. Briggs said as he and his wife shook her hand. "Thank you for calling us. You took Cameron's place, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"How is he?" Mrs. Briggs asked.

"Tired, medicated, and sore." Jo answered honestly, "But alive. I'll wake him for you."

Mrs. Briggs nodded and watched Jo lean carefully beside her son.

"Ty." Jo whispered.

Tyler grunted.

"Wake up, baby. Your parents are here."

He grunted again before opening his eyes, "Was I asleep?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry." He looked past her and smiled at his parents, "Hey."

"Oh, honey." Mrs. Briggs hugged her son gently, afraid of hurting him further but glad that he was alive.

Wanting to give them some privacy, Jo slipped silently out of the room and headed for a nearby waiting room, taking careful steps as she went. It was the first time she had been away from Tyler since he had come out of surgery and the farthest she'd walked on her own. Every step was painful, but she didn't want anyone to know it.

"So that's your new partner, huh?" Mr. Briggs asked, perching on the edge of Tyler's bed.

"Yeah. She's Rabbit's sister." Tyler looked toward the door, "This is the first time she's left me since I woke up." Should he tell them about Jo? Would they approve? Would they be happy? They should be; he was with a woman for the first time in his life.

Mrs. Briggs sat down in the recliner, "You two must be close then."

"Yeah." He was silent for a moment before deciding to break the news, "We're dating."

"You're what?" Mrs. Briggs was stunned!

"I thought you were gay!"Mr. Briggs exclaimed at the same time.

"I am." Tyler admitted.

Mrs. Briggs frowned, "But, if you're with a woman, wouldn't that make you…bisexual?"

"I'm not bi. I'm not into women. I'm into Jo, and that's it."

"Then…" Mr. Briggs shook his head as he tried to understand this revelation, "Why are you with her if you're 'not into women'?"

Tyler smiled slightly, "It's complicated."


	10. Chapter 10

**Several weeks later…**

"All right, all right, I'm comin'." Tyler grumbled as he hurried to answer the knock at his door.

Boone was on the other side, an overnight bag slung over one shoulder. "Can I crash here for a couple of days?"

Tyler stepped out of the way, letting Boone pass, "Why?"

"Termites again." Boone dropped his bag on the floor and flopped down onto the couch.

"Again? I'd be askin' for a rent reduction."

"Oh, I have, don't worry. You looking forward to coming back Monday?"

"Yes! I'm starting to get cabin fever." Tyler started for the kitchen to get some drinks, but another knock stopped him halfway. "Ugh! What now?"

Jo stood on the other side of the door. "Hey." she smiled.

All irritation vanished at the sight of her. "Hey."

"I'm lonely." She slipped past him, "Hey, Boone."

Boone nodded in greeting, "Hey, Jo."

"Where's Rabbit?" Tyler locked the door behind her and started for the kitchen again.

"He's out." She settled into the recliner, "With a friend."

He paused, "Oh?"

"Not that friend. A different friend."

"Who?" Tyler continued into the kitchen, grabbed a beer for himself, juice for Boone, a can of Mountain Dew for Jo, and returned to the living room.

"Can't say." She took the Mountain Dew, giving him a look that said _I'll tell you later._

Tyler shrugged and dropped down beside Boone. He picked up the TV remote and began channel surfing.

"There is _nothing_ on tonight." Boone said, "I checked out the guide before I came over here."

"Bull ridin' 's on." Jo offered. She was met with strange looks.

Boone raised one eyebrow, "Bull riding?"

"You've never watched it, have you?"

"No."

"Oh, you poor deprived child." She took the remote from Tyler and switched the channel.

"Hey!" Tyler exclaimed.

"We're not watching hockey again."

"What's wrong with hockey?"

"Let me start my list."

Boone watched them bicker, amused. Was this what it had been like for those who had watched him bicker with Tyler back in the day?

"If you don't want to watch bull ridin', there's a rerun of _Grey's Anatomy_ on." Jo suggested.

"We are _not_ watching _Grey's Anatomy_." Tyler argued.

"Why not?"

"We _live_ that crap! I don't wanna watch it on TV!"

Jo's cell phone began to vibrate. She took the remote with her as she stood and went into the kitchen to answer it. "Hey. …Oh, okay."

The surprised tone of her voice caught Boone and Tyler's attention.

"When will you be home? …Okay. …Well, have fun, be safe, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." There was another short pause, then she laughed, "Love you, too. …Bye."

"Rabbit?" Tyler asked as she returned to the recliner.

"Yeah. Looks like I'll be home alone tonight."

/

It was somewhere around one in the morning when Tyler and Boone finally decided to call it a night. Jo had fallen asleep hours before, which had allowed Tyler to steal the remote back. A hockey game and a half later, it was time for bed.

"Thanks again for letting me stay here." Boone quietly said as Tyler brought him a blanket and pillow.

"No problem."

Boone watched his friend as he moved to the recliner and carefully picked Jo up. Expecting Tyler to take her back across the hallway to her own apartment, he was instead shocked when Tyler carried her into his own bedroom. He knew then what he had to ask. As Tyler came back into the living room to clean up and turn off the lights, Boone spoke. "I gotta ask you something, man."

Tyler paused as he picked up the empty bottles, cans, and cups, "Okay. Shoot."

"There's been a lot of rumors going around lately. I've tried to put a stop to them, but…I think it's time to set the record straight once and for all."

He didn't like the tone of Boone's voice, "What rumors?"

"The ones about you and Jo being together."

"Oh."

"Are you?"

Tyler shrugged as he carried his load into the kitchen, "Yeah. Is that gonna be a problem?"

Boone shook his head in disbelief. Did he hear that right? "I thought you were gay!"

"I am." Tyler came back into the room, switching off lights as he did.

"But you're…dating a woman?"

"Yeah."

He was _really_ confused now. "Sooo…you're bi now?"

"No. I'm a gay guy who has a girlfriend. Jo is the exception to my gayness."

"That makes absolutely no sense." It really didn't. What had happened between Jo and Tyler that had made him change so drastically?

"I know."

"Why?"

Another shrug, "She's the only woman I've ever been attracted to. I care about her more than I ever have anyone else."

Boone tried to process this, "How long have you been with her?"

"About two weeks before the bank incident."

"What happens if you break up? Will you ever date another woman again?"

"No." There was no indecision in his voice.

"Okay. …What if you stay together? Would you marry her?"

Tyler gave a short laugh, "Whoa! One day at a time, Boone! I haven't even thought that far ahead yet."

Boone was silent for a moment, "You know this will be one more mess for you two to have to deal with."

"I know."

"Can you handle it?"

"Yeah, I think so."

/

Jo roused up when the mattress sank with new weight and the blanket that had been covering her lifted. Tyler settled against her back and wrapped one arm around her waist. She intertwined her fingers with his, letting him know she was awake.

"So, who was Rabbit's hot date tonight?" he whispered, kissing the back of her neck.

"It wasn't a hot date. They're just friends."

"If they're just friends, why is he staying at her place instead of coming home?"

"Because they had a few drinks."

"That's never stopped him before."

"She asked him to stay."

"Uh-huh. Which means they're a little past the friends stage." Another kiss, "What's her name?"

"Honey, it's just Ris."

"Marisa? Wow. Didn't see that one comin'."

"They're just friends."

"What about Nancy?"

She sighed, "That's still a touchy subject."

"Ah." He snuggled a little closer to her and kissed the back of her neck for a third time, "Speaking of 'touchy', it's been a while…"

She rolled her eyes, "It's been three days."

"That's a while."

"You know our boss is sleeping on your couch, right?"

"He'll never know if we're quiet."

She laughed shortly, "You're pitiful."

"No, I'm a guy with an incredibly hot woman in his bed."

"If Boone catches us…"

"He'll be finding another place to crash."

She smiled as she rolled over to face him, "Would you really kick him out?"

"No."

"I didn't think so." She kissed him as his hand began to roam, "I can't promise I'll be quiet."

He shrugged, "Then I guess Boone'll just have to cover his ears."


	11. Chapter 11

**Monday…**

"We have an audience." Tyler whispered as he and Jo checked out the ambulance that morning.

Jo sighed, "I'm gonna end up hurtin' somebody before this day is over." She shot an angry scowl over her shoulder at the two EMTs who were watching them from afar, trying to be inconspicuous. "What's everybody's problem, anyway?"

"Somebody told on us."

"Who? And how did they find out?"

"I dunno, I guess they just put two and two together." He shut one compartment and opened another, "Boone asked me about it the other night. He said there were rumors going around and he wanted to know the truth."

"And you said…?"

"I told him the truth."

"And he said…?"

Tyler shrugged, "Nothin' really. He was more worried about us having to deal with gawkers than the whole 'thou shalt not date thy coworker' rule."

"Lovely." She found a scrap piece of paper, wadded it up, and chucked it at the EMTs who were still watching them, "Get outta here!" It fell to the ground a few feet behind their truck, which was nowhere near the onlookers, but it got her point across. They left.

Tyler paused, frowning, "Did you not want me to tell him?"

"I don't care what you tell Boone, I just don't want to have to deal with bull crap like those two idiots."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I don't understand why we're such a spectacle anyway."

"It's because I'm a gay man with a girlfriend." He was beginning to feel guilty about all of the scrutinizing looks that Jo had been getting that morning. It didn't bother him, but he felt like it was starting to bother her.

"Is that so out of the ordinary around here? This _is_ California."

"You've got a point there. …You're not…ashamed of me…are you?"

"What?" She stopped counting saline bags and turned to face him, "Where did _that_ come from?"

"I dunno. I mean, I know it's hard for you to understand why I'm still gay and everything-"

"Tyler, I am _not_ ashamed of you!" Why were they having this conversation _now_? Could it not have waited until they were out somewhere alone? She _hated_ having private conversations in public places! "I _love_ you. If I were ashamed of you, you'd know it. I just don't like all the attention, that's all."

"Welcome back." Nancy said, leaning against one of the rear doors.

"Thanks, Nancy." Tyler grinned.

"Thanks." Jo replied. She _really_ hoped Nancy hadn't heard any of what they'd just said.

"Is it true?" Nancy asked as Glenn came to a stop beside her.

Tyler moved to Jo's side, "Is what true?"

"The rumors."

"About…?"

She knew he was playing dumb, "About you two seeing each other."

"They're true." Jo admitted, which surprised Tyler.

Nancy smiled, "I thought so." She started for her ambulance with Glenn in tow, "You make a cute couple."

/

"Okay. Let's have it." Glenn had his pen and notebook ready, eagerly awaiting Jo's weirdest story. The two crews had just finished eating lunch together, and Glenn was chomping at the bit for new material.

Jo smiled as she shook her head, "Okay, okay." She paused for dramatic effect, "Rachel and I somehow _always_ got the crazy calls, but this one was by far the craziest. It was a Friday night and this young couple decided they were going to…get creative."

Tyler had heard this story before, and he had to agree that it _was_ crazy. He watched as the expressions on Glenn and Nancy's faces went from interested to shocked to disgusted as Jo told her tale.

"He'll probably have to have a colostomy bag for the rest of his life." Jo concluded, fishing her cell phone out of her pocket and scrolling through her files, "I've got a picture of the x-ray on here somewhere."

Glenn's eyes widened, "You took a _picture_ of that?"

"Uh, _yeah_. That was probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen."

"There is _absolutely_ nothing cool about that." Tyler said, echoing Glenn's thoughts.

"You could be in a _lot_ of trouble if anyone ever found out about that picture." Nancy warned.

"No one's going to find out about it." Jo replied, her voice threatening. She found the picture and sat her phone between Nancy and Glenn.

"Oh, wow." Nancy leaned closer, "You really _can_ see the gears."

Jo grinned, "Cool, isn't it?"

Glenn shook his head, "You're sick."

"Naw, I'm just a little off." She returned her phone to her pocket as the waitress came by to refill their drinks. She waited until the waitress was gone before speaking again, "Glenn, I've been wonderin' somethin'."

Wary of the other medic's tone, Glenn decided to tread lightly. "What?"

"You Yankees ever go snipe huntin'?"

It was all Tyler could do to keep a straight face. How many years had it been since he'd heard mention of the age-old snipe hunt? The look of curiosity on Glenn's face told him that the young EMT had never heard of it. This was going to be good.

Still wary, Glenn answered, "No. Is that like turkey hunting?"

Jo laughed, "No, honey. Do you even know what a snipe is?"

He looked down at the table, embarrassed, "No."

Hook, line, and sinker. "It's a little bird kinda along the same order as a kiwi. They're flightless, but fast. I don't know how many there are out here, but they're thick down south."

Glenn frowned, "Do you eat them?"

Getting into her tale, Jo let her accent slide out. "No, you just catch 'em and let 'em go. Some people sell 'em to museums 'n zoos, but I always just turned 'em loose."

His frown deepened, "Then…why is it called hunting?"

"Stop interruptin' and I'll tell ya. They look dumb, but they're not. You've gotta hunt 'em up before ya catch 'em. Now, first-timers get the easy job; they get to hold the big burlap sack and catch the snipes. Ever'body else goes up into the hills to find the snipes an' flush 'em outta their hidin' places. That done, we run 'em back down the hill and the first-timer catches 'em in the bag. It sounds cruel, but the burlap sack acts as a cushy bumper – they run in and the bag gives enough to stop 'em without hurtin' 'em. After that, you count 'em an' let 'em go."

"That doesn't sound like a lot of fun."

Jo clenched her fist for dramatic effect, "It's the thrill of the _chase_, son. And braggin' rights."

Still skeptical, Glenn looked to Tyler, "Is she making this up?"

Tyler shook his head, "No. We used to snipe hunt all the time back home."

"I'll take ya sometime if you're interested." Jo offered.

Glenn considered this for a moment before shrugging, "Okay."

_Wow, that was too easy._ Jo thought. A commotion off to her right caught her attention just as familiar sounds reached her ears. In a flash, she was out of her chair and in motion. Time slowed down as she raced to the table across the room, assessing the situation as she approached. A young girl – probably sixteen or seventeen – was falling backward into her chair, gasping for breath as her lips and tongue began to swell, cutting off her airway. Hives began to form on her skin. Classic anaphylaxis. "Move!" she ordered, pushing past frightened customers and the girl's hysterical mother.

"What's happening?" the terrified woman practically screamed, "What's wrong with my baby?"

"She's having a severe allergic reaction." Jo answered, now in full medic mode. Without waiting for help, she lowered the girl to the floor, ripped open the side pocket of her uniform pants, removed an EpiPen, popped off the cap, and plunged the needle into the girl's shoulder. Tyler was kneeling beside her with their jump bag in hand and the stretcher at the ready in the next second as Nancy and Glenn controlled the crowd.

"What's that? What are you giving her?" the woman demanded, kneeling on Jo's other side.

"It's epinephrine." Jo answered, watching as the swelling began to subside. Good. She'd been quicker than she thought. "It's a shot of adrenaline that will reopen her airway and stop the swelling and hives."

"That's one of those EpiPens, isn't it?" the woman asked, beginning to calm down. "They were talking about them on the news last week."

"Yes, ma'am." Jo eyed the salad that sat on the girl's side of the table. "Are there eggs in that salad?"

Realization dawned in the woman's eyes, "Yes."

Jo nodded, "I'd say that's what caused this." Carefully, she removed the needle from the girl's arm, "We need to take her to the hospital and get her checked out." She breathed a small sigh of relief as the girl's frantic breathing began to return to normal, "Better?"

"Yeah." the girl croaked.

The mother nodded, calmer but still scared, "Okay. Let's go."

Carefully, Jo and Tyler maneuvered the girl onto the stretcher, secured her, and headed out to the ambulance.

"Will she have to carry those…things?" the girl's mother asked as she climbed into the ambulance behind Jo, who was putting an oxygen mask over the girl's face.

"Probably." She waited until Tyler had started the rig up before she spoke again, "It's no big deal, though, really. I have to carry them."

The woman frowned, "You're a paramedic – aren't you supposed to?"

Jo smiled, "Well, yes, but I also need them for myself. I'm allergic to beestings."

/

Note: Jo's crazy story is true. I worked the day after this call and got a full rundown (whether I wanted it or not). However, in order to keep my T rating, I watered it WAY down and left out 95% of the details simply because it was probably the grossest thing I've ever seen.

Also, for those of you who don't know, a snipe is a real bird. It's a wader bird, and there is a picture of one in the Wikipedia article about snipes. This is not the bird I'm talking about. The bird I'm talking about doesn't exist, but not everyone knows that. :)


	12. Chapter 12

"So, you were gonna tell me about being allergic to beestings when?" Tyler asked as he returned the stretcher to its place inside the box.

Jo shrugged, "I dunno. It never came up."

He slammed the double doors shut, "That's need-to-know information."

"Tyler, it's a stupid allergy." Why was he getting so bent out of shape?

"That I need to know about as your partner and as your boyfriend. What happens if you get stung?"

She threw her hands up in exasperation, "I'm a paramedic, you're a paramedic, my brother is a paramedic! I think I'm good!"

"I don't like you hiding stuff from me."

There it was. "Oh, _my_ gosh! 'Hiding stuff'? Really?"

"Yeah, really."

She took a step toward him, beginning to get angry, "First off, I wasn't _hiding_ anything from you. I've seen, like, two bees since I moved here! And just so there's no more surprises, Augmentin gives me a rash, big spiders creep me out, and I am _terrified_ of needles."

He stared at her for a long moment before asking, "You're seriously afraid of needles?"

"Yes. Until now, only Rabbit and Rachel knew about that. It's embarrassing, but true." She took another step toward him, "Don't you _ever_ accuse me of hiding things from you." Without waiting for a response, she stormed around to the passenger side, unsure of what had angered her, but angry nonetheless.

"How can you be afraid of needles and still function as a medic?" Tyler asked, climbing into the driver's seat.

"I'm not afraid of them if I'm the one using them."

He put the ambulance in gear and pulled away from the hospital, "Note to self: Jo does not stick well."

The radio crackled, "Medic 78, please respond to a one-vehicle accident at the corner of Fifth and Louden."

"10-4, dispatch, 78's en route." Jo answered, sliding her headset into place.

Tyler did the same and flipped on the lights and sirens as he pulled into traffic. "Did we just have our first fight?"

"Yeah."

/

"Okay, folks, we've got a twenty-six-year-old female who was involved in a one-vehicle MVA. Car versus building." Jo told the waiting staff as she and Tyler entered the ER with their patient. She nodded to Nancy and Glenn as they passed them at the nurses' desk. As they moved her to a hospital stretcher, Jo continued, "Apparently she had some kind of syncopal episode and lost control. No history of syncope, diabetes, or epilepsy, no medications other than a daily vitamin, so your guess is as good as mine. Vitals are surprisingly normal, she's got whiplash, several cuts and scrapes, and minor airbag burns. Might wanna check out the left side of her clavicle – I think there's a few hairlines from the seatbelt catching. She also-"

"We'll figure it out from here, ambulance driver." one of the interns said. "That's our job, not yours."

Jo recognized him as the one who was constantly giving EMS personnel – especially Nancy and herself – a hard time, but she couldn't remember his name. At the moment, his name didn't matter; she'd had a bad day, and he'd just provided her with an outlet for her anger. She dug her fingernails into his shoulder and dragged him over to the nurses' station, away from the patient. "Lemmie tell you somethin', you little smart-mouthed bastard." she growled, shoving him against the desk, "You didn't pull that girl out of that car – _I_ did. You didn't clean her up – _I_ did. You didn't stabilize her – _I_ did. You're _not_ the Emergency Room – _I_ am. The _only_ things _you_ have to 'figure out' is what caused her to lose consciousness and whether or not her collarbone is fractured. I been doin' this for almost eighteen years, son. I've seen things that your puny little _intern_ mind cannot _begin_ to fathom. I am _not_ an ambulance driver – I am a _paramedic_. I can do damn near everything you can except push certain drugs and perform surgery, and I have done a little bit of both _successfully_. Do _not_ disrespect me." By now, she was in his face with a large audience watching, "_As_ you were so _rudely_ interrupting me, I was in the process of telling you that the young lady has a _severe_ latex allergy, she prefers to be stuck in her left arm, and she's a registered nurse from the pediatric wing." Taking a breath, she straightened herself, "Listen to me when I give you report. You'll kill less people that way."

As he watched Jo turn on her heel and head toward the exit, Tyler said to the intern, "Thanks, man. I gotta ride with that for the next ten hours." Shaking his head, he followed after his partner, pulling their stretcher behind him.

Angry and embarrassed, the intern recovered himself enough to call after Jo, "You think you're hot shit, don'tcha Wheeler?"

Jo swept around to face him, spreading her arms wide as she did, "Son, I _know_ I'm hot shit. Pro'lem is you're jealous 'cause you know you won't _never_ be _half_ the shit I am."

As she started for the exit again, Dr. Carnahan called after her, "Wheeler!"

"Yessir?" Jo asked, facing him.

"Watch your mouth." Although he sounded stern, the look in Dr. Carnahan's eyes told Jo he was amused instead of angry.

She smiled, "Dr. Carnahan, with all due respect, I'll watch my mouth when you teach these little snot-nosed kids to do the same." And with that, she swaggered out of the ER. Tyler followed her, grumbling to himself about "crazy women".

Glenn leaned close to Nancy and whispered, "Does she scare you as much as she scares me?"

Nancy nodded, staring out the ER doors at the other crew, "Yep."

"Have you _completely_ lost your mind?" Tyler demanded, grabbing Jo's arm as she reached the ambulance. He spun her around to face him, expecting to be slapped as he continued, "You can't just unload on-" She grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him hard instead, making him completely forget what he was going to say next. "Damn." he panted when she finally released him.

"Sorry I was mad earlier." she apologized, smoothing the wrinkles out of his shirt.

He let out a long breath, trying to compose himself, "I gotta make you mad more often."

She grinned at him before moving to the stretcher, which needed clean sheets. "I forgot to change the sheets."

"Don't worry about it. We need to restock, anyway; we'll change 'em out when we get back to base." He brushed a stray strand of hair away from her neck and wound it around the base of her ponytail, "I'm sorry, too."

She tugged the fitted sheet loose and balled it up in the middle of the stretcher, "I wasn't hiding anything from you. I just don't want you to worry."

Nancy and Glenn came through the doors, casting strange looks at Jo.

"That's a really good way to get written up." Nancy said.

Jo snorted, "Boone's not gonna write me up."

"You went off on a doctor for no apparent reason."

"I had a reason." She felt Tyler's hand on the small of her back, ready to grab her belt loops. There was no need; her anger was spent. "I'm not gonna be disrespected like that. And if you'd grow yourself a pair, you wouldn't be disrespected either."


	13. Chapter 13

The sun had just begun to turn the sky pink when he awoke. The glowing red numbers of the alarm clock read 6:30 a.m. Why was he awake right now? It was his day off; he usually didn't even roll over until ten on his days off. Why wasn't _she_ awake? She was usually up at five every morning regardless of whether she had to work or not. _She's rubbing off on me._ he thought, smiling.

The bedroom was cool this morning. Not chilly cool, but cooler than usual. It was warm beneath the covers, though. Especially on his left side.

It was so different to feel the soft curves of a woman against his body instead of the hard lines of a man. Different, but pleasant. Pleasant only because of who this woman was. Had it been another woman…well, he wouldn't even be here if it was another woman. She fit against him so perfectly. It felt wonderful to hold her, to feel her warm breath blowing slowly across his bare chest.

He still wasn't entirely sure of what had drawn him to her. She was unlike any woman he'd ever met before. She was probably the toughest woman he knew other than Marisa. But, he knew what was beneath that tough-as-nails shell; he was one of the few people she'd ever let in. Beneath that impenetrable exterior, she was just as messed up as the rest of them were. He'd seen her break down, seen her doubt herself, seen her make mistakes. He'd seen that she really was real and raw and rough around the edges. She wasn't like the other women. Oh, she could be a diva when she wanted to, but most of the time, she was just – for lack of a better term – a good ole' boy.

Was that what it was? The fact that she was tomboyish? If so, why wasn't he attracted to Marisa? Why was Jo the only woman who had ever caught his eye?

He'd lost friends because of his relationship with Jo. She didn't know that, though, and he wasn't about to tell her. The friends that remained were wary of her. Did she scare them? Probably. She was pretty good at being scary. He couldn't help but wonder how much longer his other friends would hang around. Were they really his friends if they refused to support his choice of significant other?

They didn't understand, and he couldn't really expect them to. He'd gone from being gay with no interest in women whatsoever to gay with a serious girlfriend. He couldn't describe to them how it felt to hold her hand, to kiss her, to make love to her, to look into her eyes and know beyond the shadow of a doubt that she loved him. They wouldn't understand even if he _could_ describe it.

He'd fallen hard and fast, and for once in his life, he didn't think that was a bad thing.

One of her fingers twitched against his side. He held still, hoping she wouldn't wake up. After a few moments without any further movement, he relaxed.

His eyes wandered around her bedroom, studying the pictures that were scattered around the space. There were – naturally – lots of pictures of her and Rabbit at various stages in their lives. Rabbit was the only family member of hers who appeared in the pictures that were displayed throughout the apartment. There were a few pictures of her with coworkers both past and present, and there were pictures of the two of them.

And then, there was the top of her chest of drawers. This particular space was the only place where pictures of Rachel sat. In the middle, an 8x10 frame held a professionally done photo of Rachel that, according to Jo, had been taken a couple of months before her death. To the right sat a 4x6 frame that held a picture of the two of them as little girls in matching yellow sundresses holding fistfuls of daisies and black-eyed susans. They'd been four or five at the time. To the left sat another 4x6 frame with a picture of them holding their freshly-minted EMT certificates and smiling like they'd just won the lottery. They were eighteen and more proud of their certificates than they were of their high school diplomas. Among the frames were faux daisies and black-eyed susans. Rachel's badge rested against the left side of the 8x10 frame, and her class ring sat in front of the right side. There was a photo album full of pictures of the two girls that was stored in the first drawer of the chest.

Tyler studied the 8x10 of Rachel and wondered what the auburn-haired, green-eyed woman had been like. Jo had told him about her friend as best she could without getting all choked up. Sometimes, she would take the album out of the drawer and tell him the story behind certain pictures. The pain of losing her was just as fresh as it had been more than a year ago.

Jo sighed, catching his attention. It wouldn't be long until she woke up.

He wanted to take her to see the bridge today. She'd seen it, but only when they'd been driving across it. Every time they crossed it, she would say "I'd love to see this thing from the ground." So today, they would be tourists. They would spend the day at the engineering marvel, and Jo would have a new picture to add to her collection.

And, hopefully, no one would get hurt or sick, or decide to try to commit suicide while they were there.

Jo's hand drifted up his chest and neck to cup his jaw as she kissed his cheek.

"Good morning, beautiful." Tyler murmured, giving her a gentle squeeze and a kiss.

"Mornin'." She stretched against him, popping her entire back in the process, "What time is it?"

He looked at the clock, "Seven."

She groaned and buried her face in his neck.

He smiled, "Wanna go to the bridge today?"

"Really?" She propped herself up on one elbow.

"Yeah. If you want to. Weatherman's giving rain for tomorrow."

"Of course I want to!" She kissed him, "Let's go."

/

It was late evening when they returned home. Rabbit had gone over to Nancy's for the first time in months to talk to her. This progress made Jo ecstatic – she'd finally had to resort to nagging in order to get her brother to at least talk to the blonde medic.

At the moment, Jo and Tyler were piled up on the couch, exhausted from their day out. Tyler was absently channel surfing as Jo snuggled down onto his chest and stomach.

"Am I too heavy?" she asked.

Tyler snorted, "No. You weigh – what? – a buck twenty soakin' wet and holdin' a brick?" He kissed the top of her head, "You know I like it when you're on top."

"Oh?" Grinning wolfishly, she captured his mouth in a kiss that started off slowly but quickly became deep.

His cell phone began to vibrate on the side table behind his head. He barely noticed. Instead of leaving a voicemail, the person called again. He ignored it. The caller tried again. Groaning, he broke the kiss and fumbled around for his phone. The number on the Caller ID surprised him. Frowning, he answered, "Hello?"

Jo watched a troubled look form on his face. She slid off of him, which allowed him to stand up and head for the door.

"I'll be right back." he mouthed, stepping out into the hallway.

The atmosphere had changed so suddenly it worried her. Jo went to the door and looked through the peephole, watching as Tyler unlocked his apartment door and disappeared inside. Something bad was up. Whoever it was that had called him had been the bearer of bad news. She hoped it wasn't bad news about one or both of his parents. She returned to the couch and perched nervously on the edge of the center cushion.

Minutes that seemed like hours ticked by. She turned the TV off, more annoyed by the sound than distracted. Finally, her cell phone vibrated. She lunged for it, surprised as she realized it was a text instead of a call. A text from Tyler. Tyler who rarely ever texted her. She opened it, afraid of what she might find.

_I need 2 talk 2 u. Now._

Beginning to get scared, she flew around the apartment turning off lights before grabbing her keys and phone and locking the door behind her as she rushed across the hall.

He was sitting on the couch, bouncing one leg nervously. When he looked up at her, she saw a look on his face that she'd only seen once; fear.

"What's wrong?" She took a seat beside him, her heart beginning to pound as she realized that something was _very_ wrong. He took her hand in his, and she noticed a tremble in his grip.

Drawing a shaky breath, he said, "That was my ex. He…" Tyler closed his eyes and took another shaky breath, trying to control the panic that was threatening to overtake him. "He was calling to tell me…that he'd gone to the doctor yesterday and…" He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his voice from wavering so badly, "…His doctor called him right before he called me to tell him that…" – he exhaled slowly, desperately trying to fight the panic – "…to tell him that he was HIV positive."


	14. Chapter 14

Jo was silent for a moment, letting that sink in. Before her mind could begin to panic, she let the medic part of her brain take over so she could think straight. "Did he say when he thought he might've contracted it?"

"He thinks it was around the time we broke up. He'd been cheating on me." Tyler couldn't decide what had hurt more – suspecting his ex of cheating or finally getting a confession.

"Have you had any symptoms?"

"No. Have you?" He tried to stop his leg from bouncing. No luck.

"No."

"What if we don't show any symptoms? What if I've got it and I've given it to you?"

She realized then that he was more worried about her than about himself. "Tyler-"

"What if we're too infected for medication? Is that possible?"

"Tyler-"

The panic began to take over, "What if we test positive? Will we have to quit our jobs?"

"Tyler-"

His throat began to constrict, "I'm sorry – I never meant for something like this to happen. Please don't leave me."

She grabbed his shoulders and gave him a good hard shake, "_Tyler!_ I ain't goin' nowhere! Get that outta your head!"

He stared at her, tears beginning to brim in his eyes.

"Oh, honey." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him toward her, feeling her t-shirt dampen as soon as he buried his face in her shoulder. "You don't know that we have it, and there's no use in worrying over something that may or may not be. We'll go to the health department first thing tomorrow morning and have a stat test run. And if we have it…well, we'll deal with it." She rubbed his back gently, knowing that she needed to stay calm and keep it together for him. This was almost as scary as being told she had cancer. Or was it scarier? Was knowing you had a disease worse than wondering if you had a disease? She didn't want to dwell on it long enough to find out. "If we have it, we have it, and if we don't, we don't. Either way, we'll get through this. Together."

He drew a trembling breath and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, babe."

He tried to calm himself down, embarrassed at having lost control so easily, and angry at himself for doing so. What a mess this was. How could he have been so careless? He should've listened to his instincts and gotten tested after the breakup. Guilt bore down on him. He might have committed the woman he loved to a lifetime of medical bills and pain.

"We're gonna be okay." She kissed his hair, "No matter what."

He felt badly for having expected her to leave him. She hadn't even been repulsed. Anyone else would've at least been angry. He swallowed hard, trying desperately to calm down. He wasn't really sure why he was crying. He'd never cried in front of her before. Was it fear of the unknown? Guilt and embarrassment? Or was he relieved because she hadn't left him? He decided it was a little of all of that.

Jo's cell phone vibrated in her back pocket. She ignored it. It was probably just Rabbit, anyway.

"That's probably Rabbit." Tyler said, pulling away and roughly wiping his face on his shirt. _At least you didn't blubber like a baby._ he angrily thought.

"He can wait." Gently, she lifted his chin and brushed away the remaining droplets of tears. Cupping both sides of his face, she kissed him softly. He returned it, and it became one of those long, slow kisses. It wasn't long until her phone vibrated again.

Tyler broke away, "Get that."

Jo fished her phone out of her pocket and leaned backward, pulling him toward her. She settled back into the couch and pulled him down on top of her. She waited until he got comfortable before wrapping her arms around him and touching the screen of her phone. Sure enough, it was a text from Rabbit. She opened it.

_Staying w/ Nancy 2night._ it said.

She smiled, "He's staying with Nancy tonight."

"Good." He leaned his forehead against her neck.

_Glad u 2 r making progress. :)_ she texted back.

A few seconds later, he responded. _Me 2. Not sure when I'll b home 2morrow._

_That's ok. I'm gonna stay w/ Ty 2night._

_K. Nite._

_Nite._

_Love u._

_Love u 2._

"You two are like teenage girls." Tyler said, kissing her neck.

Jo chuckled as she sat her phone on the coffee table. "You wanna go take a shower?"

"Yeah, I guess." As he started to move off of her, she caught him with another soft kiss.

"Don't worry." she said, brushing his hair back. "I know it's hard, but don't worry. Everything's gonna be okay."

/

The shower relaxed Tyler somewhat, but the worry still pulled at his thoughts. By the time they toweled off and dressed, the what-ifs were stampeding through his mind again. As he headed into the kitchen to get a drink of water, he tried to think logically. Neither of them had shown any signs or symptoms, and for all he knew, his ex could've contracted it well after their relationship had ended.

Sighing, he poured the rest of his water down the sink, walked over to the nearest window and stared out at the city. They would find out once and for all tomorrow morning. It was a long time between now and then, though.

He managed to keep himself from jumping when Jo's arms wrapped around his waist and she settled against his back. Even now, she was scary good at sneaking up on him. He covered her hands with his. "Sorry I lost it earlier."

"It's okay." She kissed the back of his neck.

Silence fell between them for a few moments before she spoke again.

"Ready for bed?" she quietly asked, kissing the tattoo on his shoulder blade.

"I won't sleep."

"I know." She pulled at him gently, and he released her. She took his hand and led him toward the bedroom. "Come lay down with me." She'd hoped the shower would've eased his mind. It had, but not to the extent that she had wanted. So, she decided to resort to alternative methods.

Tyler frowned and tilted his head to one side as he studied her rear, "Are those my boxers?"

"Yup."

"Wow. That's kinda hot."

She slid the bedroom door open and led him inside, "This is your t-shirt, too."

"So, what, you raided my underwear drawer?" He looped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him.

"Maybe." Giving him a mischievous grin, she draped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Slowly, she began walking him backward toward his bed. Once she felt him bump into the mattress, she pushed him gently.

He fell back onto the bed slowly, watching her as she climbed up onto him, straddling his hips. His heart began to pound as she leaned forward, running one hand beneath his shirt. "What're you doin', baby?" he whispered, his voice becoming husky as desire flared within him.

"Making you forget your worries." she replied, kissing along his jaw as she worked his shirt up and over his head. It landed on the floor somewhere to the left.

He groaned as she started back down, sprinkling kisses over his chest and stomach. She softly kissed the scars that were left over from the bank incident before continuing her journey. His heart leapt when he felt her fingers begin to hook around the waistbands of his pajama bottoms and boxers. Oh, yeah, he was definitely gonna forget his worries.

/

Tyler awoke the next morning wrapped in Jo's arms. The steady beat of her heart told him she was awake. He decided to keep his eyes closed for a few more minutes and enjoy the closeness while it lasted. He wondered if she had slept at all. He had, but only because she had worn him out. He'd forgotten his worries last night, but they came rushing back this morning.

Who knew what would happen today? It could go either way. He hoped their tests would come back negative. There was only one way to find out, though.

His mind drifted back to last night, and he smiled in spite of the worry. He was amazed that she still wanted to be with him. Most of the other women he knew would've ended the relationship and been beyond revulsion. But, Jo wasn't like other women. As they'd made love last night, she'd told him over and over how much she loved him. Thinking about that now gave him comfort. No matter what the results were, he knew he wouldn't lose her.

Her fingers combed gently through his hair before she planted a soft kiss on top of his head. "Mornin'." she whispered, trailing her fingertips slowly down his jaw.

The sensation sent chills through him. "Mornin'." He pulled her closer, not wanting to face this day.

She smiled as she continued to stroke his hair. She could feel his heart beginning to pound against her. "Ready to get this over with?"

"I guess."

"No matter what, baby, I love you."

"I love you, too."

/

The drive to the health department had been quiet. Sitting in the waiting room and filling out paperwork had been torture. Hearing their names finally being called had felt like walking to the execution chamber. And now, sitting here in the small exam room, Tyler began to feel claustrophobic. Jo had held tightly to his hand the whole time.

The doctor (whose last name neither of them could ever hope to properly pronounce) had been brief and to the point, and now, they were waiting for a nurse to come and take blood samples.

He wondered what would happen when the nurse tried to draw Jo's blood. He was afraid she'd pass out. Or vomit. Or both. Maybe she'd let him do it.

There was a knock at the door, and two nurses entered the room. "Alrighty." one of them said with typical fake cheerfulness. "Who wants to go first?"

Tyler took a deep breath, released Jo's hand, and held out his arm.

"Works for me." the nurse said, tying a tourniquet around his bicep.

Jo saw him flinch when the needle pierced his vein. She dreaded this part almost as badly as she dreaded the results.

"Your turn." the other nurse said, starting toward her.

Jo held out her hand, "Gimmie that thing – I'll stick myself."

The nurse frowned, "I'm not sure that's allowed."

"Unless you have smellin' salts in your pocket, I highly recommend you let me stick myself."

"She's not kidding." Tyler said, fighting the urge to watch the other nurse set up the collection tube.

The nurse looked from Jo's outstretched hand to the needle in her own hand. "All right, but don't screw up."

Jo snorted as she took the needle and tourniquet, "Please. I can hit a vein in my sleep." She tied the tourniquet around her arm and took a slow breath, readying herself for the needle. '_Don't screw up' my ass._ she thought, sticking herself quickly. After that, she let the nurse do the rest.

Tyler watched nervously as Jo paled a little. He was so focused on her that he barely felt the needle leave his arm and the bandage cover the small hole.

"Okay." Jo's nurse said, "You're done. Do you want me to remove the needle?"

"No, I'll get it." Carefully, Jo pulled the needle out and let the nurse put a bandage over the place. Although she didn't want to let it show, she was pretty pleased with herself. Passing out or throwing up here would've been ridiculously embarrassing.

Tyler's nurse began to collect their supplies, "You two can go back out to the waiting room. This shouldn't take longer than thirty minutes."

/

It was the longest twenty-eight minutes of Tyler's life. He was almost relieved when their names were called. Almost.

"Here we go." Jo murmured as they were led into a vacant exam room.

They'd barely had time to sit down when Dr. Unpronounceable-Last-Name stepped in, all business, just like before. "Both of your results came back negative." he said, "You're free to go." And with that, he turned around and left the room.

Stunned, they stared at the closed door for a minute before Jo spoke.

"We're clean." she said.

Tyler laughed and shook his head, "Amazing." It felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted from his shoulders. He looked at Jo, "We're clean."

"Told you we'd be okay." She stood and reached for his hand, "Let's go get some breakfast."


	15. Chapter 15

Glenn needed air. Now. Angry, frustrated, and embarrassed, he stormed out of the ambulance bay into the cool December air, heading for the parking lot. He'd screwed up. Again! A man could've died because he'd been moving faster than he was thinking.

The ten-car-three-semi pileup on the interstate had looked like something from _Final Destination_. One of the semis had been – naturally – carrying a full tank of gasoline which had eventually – naturally – exploded. It had been an all-call race against time to beat the blow-up. In the rush to get their patient stable enough for transport, Glenn had grabbed a shot of epi instead of a shot of morphine. It was a stupid mistake that shouldn't have happened. If Nancy hadn't caught him…

An unlucky pop can met the toe of his boot and rocketed off across the asphalt.

"You keep that up 'n you'll make it to the NFL in no time."

Glenn flinched at the familiar sound of Jo's voice. He looked to his right and found her beneath the hood of an ambulance, knees braced wide around the engine, wrench in hand, an old alternator sitting on top of the ambulance's battery beside her. She hadn't looked up when she'd spoken. Embarrassed, he looked down at his boots and pushed his hands into his jacket pockets.

Satisfied that the new alternator was secure, Jo climbed down, wiped her hands on an old rag, shut the ambulance's hood, and collected her tools and the old alternator. She could feel Glenn's eyes on her back as she returned her tools to her toolbox. "What's wrong, son?" she asked, closing the toolbox lid and locking it.

"Nothin'," Glenn mumbled, looking away again.

"Somethin'." She lowered her truck's tailgate and sat down, letting her feet dangle a few inches above the asphalt. Patting the space beside her, she said, "C'mere."

Sighing, he went to her and climbed up onto the vacant half of the tailgate.

"Glenn, is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?"

The question caught him off guard, "I…I guess."

"It's a yes or no question."

He was silent for a moment before answering, "Yes."

She nodded as she crossed her right leg over her left. "I know about what happened today."

"Great." He deflated, burying his face in his hands and leaning his elbows against his knees.

"You gotta learn somehow. Unfortunately, making mistakes is part of the learning process. We all do it."

He snorted as he looked at her, "Not you. I saw you and Tyler out there. You two don't even have to talk to each other – you just know what to do. And you – you're Super Medic. You've been doing this so long you don't even have to think anymore."

Jo laughed, "Super Medic. I wish that were true. I make mistakes. Lots of them. If you don't believe me, ask Tyler." Seeing that he wasn't convinced, she continued, "Glenn, this is The Life. This job is the best job in the world. It's also the worst job in the world. There _will_ be more days like this. There'll be thousands of days like this. But, there will be good days. Those good days will make you look back on bad days like this and wonder why you ever doubted yourself.

"We're superheroes, Glenn. Real-life superheroes. And we get _paid_ to be superheroes! How cool is that?"

Glenn looked down at his hands, "Then why do I feel like a super-villain?"

"Because you care. I'm an old hand at this, son. I know potential when I see it. You've got potential. You've also got a big heart. Put those two together and you could be legendary."

He smiled in spite of his sour mood.

"Pull out that notebook, writer-boy. I'm gonna tell you the method to my madness."

Realizing that he was getting material handed to him on a silver platter, Glenn hurried to pull his notebook and pen from his jacket pocket.

Jo waited until he was ready before she began. "There are four things you need to remember in this job. First and foremost; _you are not God_. I'm not God, Tyler's not God, Rabbit's not God, Nancy's not God, Marisa's not God, and Boone's not God. God is God and He decides who goes and who stays. You were not put on this earth to be God. You and me and everybody else was put here on this earth to serve God. We – that is Fire and EMS people – are tools of God, put here on this earth to _help people_ and _to make a difference_. Your job is to be the best tool you possibly can be and to do the most good and make the most difference that you possibly can.

"Secondly; focus on the good, but learn from the bad. This job is full of mountains and valleys. When you're down in a valley – like today – you wonder why you ever got into this mess of an occupation. But, when you're up on the mountain, you wonder why you ever doubted yourself. Learn from both, but don't get hung up on the bad. If you get hung up on the bad, you burn out. If you burn out, you're no good to anybody and you'll end up killing people. I hate to say this, but I worry about Nancy. She's on the brink of burning out. She's at that crossroads that we all come to at some time or another, wondering if this is all there is to life. Don't you let her burn out, Glenn. She's too good at this to burn out.

"Third; never stop learning. The more you learn about diseases, technology, and treatment, the more chance you have at saving somebody's life. I subscribe to Fire and EMS magazines, medical journals, e-mail newsletters, whatever I can get my hands on. I've read _Mosby's_ from front to back, and I buy the newest editions whenever I can get my hands on them. There are ALS and BLS field guides in the bookstore down the road. I've got a nursing drug book in the glove box of my rig and in my truck. And, I carry a pocket notebook with me at all times incase I learn something out in the field. It's a job within itself to try to keep up with everything, but it'll be worth it if it helps me save a life. Knowledge is power, Glenn. In our case, knowledge is the difference between life and death.

"Lastly; if you don't know, ask. Nobody will think less of you for asking an honest question. My old crew from South Carolina still calls me with questions. If you don't know and Nancy doesn't know, call somebody. You've got my number – call me. I'll answer."

Glenn finished his furious writing, hand cramping from trying to keep up with her. It occurred to him that this was the first serious conversation he'd ever had with Jo. He'd always thought of her as a crazy hillbilly, but after this…well, she'd made sense. A lot of sense. It was almost scary. "Thanks, Jo." he quietly said, somehow feeling better now that she'd talked to him.

"Any time." She hopped off of the tailgate and waited for him to do the same before she shut it and patted his shoulder, "You're a good kid, Glenn. Even if ya are a damn Yankee."

/

Note: Short chapter, I know. This had been floating around in my head for a while, so I decided to use it as a transition chapter. And, I wanted to show a different side of Jo that doesn't come out very often. :)


	16. Chapter 16

"So, what's Tyler getting you for Christmas?" Nancy asked, leaning against the open ambulance door.

"I told him not to get me anything." Jo answered, locking the stretcher into place. "Hopefully he'll listen for once."

"Oh, come on. It's your first Christmas!"

Jo shrugged, "Christmas isn't really my thing."

Nancy frowned, "Why? Everybody likes Christmas."

"I used to. Christmas was my best friend's favorite holiday." Jo shifted uncomfortably, "After she…passed away…it, uh…" – she cleared her throat – "lost its luster."

Nancy flinched, "Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's okay; you didn't know." She shut the ambulance's double doors, "What're you and Rabbit doing for Christmas?"

"I'm not sure yet. I think we're having dinner at my dad's if he decides to take the night off. Nothing big. What about you?"

"Tyler's parents are coming up."

"You don't sound too thrilled about that."

Jo leaned against the back of the ambulance, "Well, the last time they saw me, they looked at me like I'd sprouted a second head."

"Well, you _were_ kind of a big surprise."

She chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I was."

"Ready to go, Nancy?" Glenn called from their rig.

Nancy gave Jo a smile, "I'll see you later."

Jo nodded, "Be safe." As she watched the other medic walk away, she wondered aloud, "What the crap was _that_ about?"

/

"I think that's all of it." Tyler said, tossing the last of the bloody towels into a biohazard can.

"Did that dude have _any_ blood left?" Jo asked, rubbing a disinfectant wipe over the stretcher for the third time.

"I wondered that myself." He pulled a disinfectant wipe from the container and started wiping down cabinets again.

As she tossed her dried-up wipe into a pile, she caught sight of something. "Hold still."

Tyler froze, "What is it?"

Jo pulled out a fresh wipe and stepped over to him. "You've got blood in your ear."

"Seriously?" He tried not to flinch when the cold wipe touched the inside of his ear.

"Seriously." Satisfied that she'd gotten it all, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Aww. How cute!" Glenn teased.

Jo balled the wipe up and threw it at him, "Like you've got room to talk!"

Glenn chuckled and changed the subject, "Gnarly call, huh?"

"That's putting it lightly." Tyler agreed. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem." He chuckled, "I think we all need a shower, though."

"Amen." Jo agreed, gathering up the pile of used wipes and tossing them into a biohazard trashcan. "You and Diana goin' home for Christmas?"

"Yeah. We're supposed to meet each other's parents."

"Oooh, gettin' serious aren't we?" Tyler half-teased.

Glenn blushed, then glanced up at Nancy as she walked through the ER doors. "There she is. Catch you guys later."

After the goodbyes were said, Jo turned back to Tyler. "Are you feeling okay?"

He frowned, "Yeah. Why?"

"You felt warm."

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

/

By the end of their shift, Tyler felt like crap. At last check, his temperature had risen to a hundred and one and his stomach felt like it had worked itself into knots. Presently, he was curled into a ball on the lounge's couch, his head in Jo's lap, waiting for Rabbit to return from a run so they could go home.

Jo was running a cool washcloth over his face and neck, trying to give him some relief. "I bet you've caught that twenty-four-hour bug that's been goin' around."

"Lucky me."

"Didn't Boone say his kids had it?"

"Yeah." He winced as his stomach lurched.

"I bet you caught it when you went over there the other night." She nudged the bucket that one of the night shift people had brought closer to the edge of the couch. She wanted to take him home, but he insisted on waiting for Rabbit. At the rate he was going, it would take both her and Rabbit to get him home.

"I'm okay." He swallowed hard, trying to force down the bile that had crept up his throat.

"Honey-"

"I'm fine, babe, I just-" He barely had time to lean forward enough to hover over the bucket as his stomach lurched again.

Jo had to look away as she held him steady. After all these years, vomit still made her queasy. She didn't look back until she felt him lean backward. "Better?"

"Not really."

_It's gonna be a long night._ Jo thought, beginning to rub his back.

/

"You don't have to stay." Tyler said for what seemed like the tenth time. He was leaning heavily on the doorframe of his bathroom, watching Jo fix up a pallet for them to sleep on. She'd decided they needed to sleep in the bathroom tonight. He'd almost objected, but after throwing up twice in fifteen minutes, he decided sleeping in the bathroom wasn't such a bad idea.

"I'm not leaving you alone." Jo replied, standing. She went to him and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead, "You're still too warm."

"I'll be alright. I've been sick by myself before."

"Well, now you can be sick with me here."

"I don't want you to catch this."

"Eh, I'm not worried." She trailed her fingertips softly down his cheek.

He closed his eyes as she cupped his face with both hands. Even though he was burning up, the warmth of her hands was comforting. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself staring down into her darkening eyes. If he hadn't felt so awful, he would've taken her right then and there. "I love you." he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him.

"I love you, too." she replied, sliding her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, trying not to think about how hot his skin was beneath her cheek.

Softly, he kissed her hair, "I don't know what I did to deserve you, baby girl, but I'm sure glad I have you."

"I'm glad I have you, too." She could feel the exhaustion creeping into his body, "Why don't you lay down, babe?"

He smiled as he slowly released her, "Yeah, I'd probably better."

As Tyler made himself comfortable, Jo wetted a washcloth and sat down beside him. Gently, she stroked it over his face, neck, and torso, hoping to give him some relief from his fever.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on calming his churning stomach. It had been a long time since he'd caught a 24-hour bug. He hoped that was what it was, anyway. He hoped Jo wouldn't catch it, but knew she probably would because she had been so close to him all day. As the washcloth drifted over his stomach, his thoughts settled on Jo.

Even though she had vehemently objected to him getting her anything for Christmas, he'd already decided on something. That was why he'd gone over to Boone's the other night; having never bought a Christmas present for any non-family woman, he'd needed some advice. He'd also talked to Rabbit, who had sworn to keep their conversation a secret. He knew that Christmas wasn't her thing, and could totally understand why. But, it was their first Christmas and he wanted to make it special.

When he felt her lips touch his forehead, he opened his eyes. Looking up at her took his breath away. Here she was trying to make him feel better, ready to sleep beside him on the tile floor so he wouldn't be sick alone. There was nothing but love in her eyes. Love for him. Love that he had searched for all of his life. Love that hadn't wavered despite the fact that he was gay. He couldn't help but wonder if that one fact would ever change her opinion of him.

His stomach lurched painfully and he barely had enough time to get to the toilet before he threw up.

Jo fought down her own queasy tremors as she filled a cup full of water and handed it to him.

Tyler accepted it gratefully, sloshing the water around in his mouth, and spitting. "This sucks." he grumbled, flushing the toilet before the smell made Jo sick.

"I know." She settled beside him and guided him to her lap.

"Sure you wanna stay with me tonight?"

"I'm sure."

"I want you to go to work tomorrow."

She began to comb her fingers through his hair, "That'll depend on how you feel in the morning."

/

NOTE: Apologies for the length of time between this chapter and the last. Writer's block is a truly terrible thing. I'd like to dedicate this chapter in loving memory of Charlie, who lost his life in the line of duty earlier this month. Rest in peace, Sparky. We love you, and we miss you.


	17. Chapter 17

"How's Tyler?" Boone asked, leaning against the open ambulance door.

"Better." Jo answered as she finished checking the monitor. "He finally stopped throwing up somewhere around three this morning."

Boone shook his head, "Wow. I feel kinda responsible for him gettin' sick."

Jo waved a hand dismissively, "It's just a stomach bug. He'll live." She moved to the open door, "He's supposed to call me when he wakes up. Want me to have him give you a ring?"

He considered this for a moment, "Yeah, if you don't mind."

"Okay." She stepped down onto the concrete floor, "So, do I have a partner today, or do you want me to be Ms. Goodwrench?"

Boone grinned, "As much as I like having a mechanic around, I've got you a partner for the day. He should be here any minute."

"Alright. …Who is my partner, anyway?"

"Remember Matt Gowan from the fire department?

"Yeah."

"He got his EMT last month."

Jo grinned, "So you're lettin' _me_ break him in?"

"He's been riding with another shift, but I thought he could use some…old-school experience." Boone chuckled when Jo raised one eyebrow, "Don't scare him off, okay?"

"I make no guarantees." She looked over his shoulder at the young man who was approaching them, "Old-school, huh?"

"Nothin' wrong with that." He turned to follow her gaze, "Matt, come meet your partner."

The blonde-haired EMT quickened his pace. "Hi." he said, extending his hand when he reached the pair, "Matt Gowan."

She shook his hand, "Jo Wheeler."

"She's one of the best I've got, Matt." Boone said, "Try to learn something, okay?"

Matt nodded, "Yessir."

"Go easy on him." Boone said to Jo with a wink before heading back across the ambulance bay.

Jo sighed, "Okay. What's the first thing you do in the morning?"

Matt didn't hesitate, "Check the truck, make sure everything's stocked, charged, filled, and ready to go."

"Good. I've already checked everything out of habit, but most medics don't do that. Most medics expect the EMT to do _everything_. I'm not 'most medics', I always help my partner. But, I'm used to runnin' dual medic now, so don't let me forget you're an EMT, okay?"

He grinned, "Copy that."

She groaned as she shut the doors, "Please don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Say 'copy that'. It's a pet peeve of mine."

He frowned, "Why?"

"Get in and I'll explain."

Matt hurried around to the driver's side, wondering if he was about to get a lecture.

"We're sittin' on South Central today, by the way." Jo said as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Okay." He started the rig and pulled out of the bay, heading toward South Central.

"Now, about 'copy that'…" She took a breath before continuing, "Back in the late thirties, radio signals were crappy at best. So, in 1937, an Illinois State Police officer named Charles Hopper began developing standardized codes to reduce the use of speech over police radios. Officer Hopper was the Communications Director at District 10, so he knew what he was doing. Radios back then were based on vacuum tubes with a dynamotor in them. Depending on the voltage of the radio, it would take between a tenth and a fourth of a second for it to key up. By starting a radio transmission with 'ten' , the listener had a second to realize they had important info coming. And, sometimes officers would start talking before the radio came up to full power. So, even if the 'ten' part was cut off, the important stuff came through.

"In 1974, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International – the APCO – expanded the codes. Of course, by now the public had become fairly well aware of ten-codes thanks to TV, and CB radio users were beginning to use them. This was kinda the beginning of the end.

"10-1 through 10-39 are standardized codes. After 10-39 – well, actually after 10-34 – they're optional and _very_ diverse. The LAPD uses parts of the California Penal Code, The California Highway Patrol uses eleven-codes, NATO uses Z-codes, and the NYFD has their own set of ten-codes.

"In the fall of 2005, the government recommended the discontinuation of ten-codes in favor of 'plain speech' due to some of the confusion during the 9/11 attacks and Katrina. Nineteen states were planning to switch to 'plain English' by the end of 2009, but I don't know how many really did.

"I don't agree with 'plain English'. All that boils down to is the radio-heads can't decipher all of the ten-codes, so they complained to the feds because they want to know _exactly_ what they're eavesdropping on. When you're dealing with sensitive things like a sexual assault or a drug raid, the last thing you want is some idiot listening in on your radio conversation.

"Ten-codes were designed to make our jobs easier and safer. To move away from that is – in my opinion – the stupidest thing ever."

"Wow." Matt said as he pulled into a parking spot on South Central, "I didn't know all that."

Jo shrugged, "I'm a plethora of useless information."

He turned sideways in his seat so that he could look at her, "That was pretty cool, actually. Where did you learn that?"

She chuckled, "Honestly, I don't remember. I like to learn, especially when it comes to my job." Her cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Frowning, she glanced at the number before answering with, "Wheeler."

Matt watched as her frown deepened.

"Yeah? What does it sound like? …No, Glenn, don't stick your phone out the-" She raised one eyebrow as she listened. "…Yeah, I heard it. Sounds like a hub, but they don't usually make so much noise before they go out. …Your wheel will lock up. _If_ that's what it is. …You need to switch trucks. I'll take a look at it, but if that's what it is, it'll have to go to the shop. …I know how to fix it, I just don't have the tools. …You're welcome, honey. Bye."

"You sure do know a lot about these ambulances."

"Yeah. Back home, we couldn't afford to take a rig to the shop for every little thing. So, we learned how to fix things ourselves." She smiled, "I like it, actually. It's nice to work on something that doesn't talk, scream, bleed, or puke every now and then."

/

"I need to get a Christmas card for my nephew." Jo said, breaking what had been an hour's silence.

Matt managed to keep from jumping when she spoke. Frowning, he paused his game of _Angry Birds_ and looked up at her, "Your nephew? Wasn't he involved in the whole bank robbery thing?"

"Yeah."

"And you're getting him a Christmas card…why?"

"Because he's my nephew and I love him even if he is an idiot."

He nodded even though he didn't understand her logic, "Ah. …Wanna play _Angry Birds_?"

"Don't tempt me."

"Here." He held his phone out to her.

"No." She pushed his hand away, "Thanks, but if you ever want to see your phone again, don't let me play _Angry Birds_."

He laughed, "You're an addict, too, huh?"

"Rabidly so." Her cell phone began to vibrate again. "Bloody hell." she grumbled, fishing it out of her pocket. Her demeanor changed the instant she looked at the number. "Hey, baby."

"Hey." Tyler replied. "Busy?"

"Not yet, but the day is young. How do you feel?"

"Better. I'm not nauseated anymore, just…drained."

"Well, I guess that's good."

"I managed to make it to the couch."

She laughed, "Aww."

Matt rolled his eyes and acted like he was gagging.

Jo gave him a toothy grin and flipped him off.

"Who're you riding with today?" Tyler asked.

"Matt Gowan."

"From the fire department?"

"Yep. He's our new Probie."

"And Boone gave him to you for the day?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you haven't scared him off yet?"

"The day is young, my love."

He chuckled.

"You're supposed to call Boone, by the way."

"Okay. I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

This time, Matt added sound effects to his gagging.

Jo stuck her tongue out at him before opening her door and getting out. "I don't like working without you." She continued, opening the side door and climbing into the box.

"I don't like being home without you."

She sat down on the bench and turned her radio on low, "I should've called in this morning."

"No, you shouldn't have. I'm okay, I just don't have any energy."

"Maybe it'll be a quick shift."

"Hope so."

The tones sounded in the next second. "Medic 78-" the dispatcher started.

"Gotta go." Jo said, scrambling out of the box and back into the cab.

"Okay. Be safe."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you, too."

"…One-two-eight-nine South Central, Apartment B." the dispatcher was repeating as Jo buckled her seatbelt and Matt fired up the engine. "Twenty-year-old male, suicide attempt."

"Not this idiot again!" Jo groaned, putting her headset on, "10-4, dispatch, we're en route."

"Again?" Matt asked, hitting the lights and sirens as he pulled out into traffic.

"This is the fourth time in two months. The first two times I thought the boy really was in need of some serious help. After the third time…"

Matt sighed, "Lovely."

The apartment wasn't too far away from where they'd been stationed. Jo was grumbling to herself about not getting paid enough as Matt parked the ambulance. "Grab the board." she said, slinging the jump bag over her shoulder and heading for the stairs that led up into the building. Matt barely had time to get the board out of the ambulance and shut the doors before she disappeared inside.

He was in the bathroom, hovering over the bathtub, blood dripping from both wrists. His name was Cody James, he was a college dropout, a talented artist, and dressed like he belonged in a punk rock music video. "I'm bleeding to death!" he moaned as Jo entered the bathroom and sat down on the toilet beside him. Matt knelt by her side, trying not to stare at Cody's numerous facial piercings.

"No you're not." she said, making a conscious effort to remain aloof.

"Yes I am!" He watched her open the jump bag and pull out gauze and tape. "I'm finally going to die!"

"No you're not." She started to reach for him, but he pulled away.

"Do you not see all this blood? I'm dying!"

That did it. She grabbed his arm and yanked him back to her, "No, Cody, _unfortunately_, you're not! If you'd done it right, you would be! Hold him still, Matt."

"Unfortunately?" Cody exclaimed, too stunned by Jo's words to resist as Matt put his hands on his slim shoulders.

Jo didn't waste a second wrapping Cody's wrists with gauze and taping them tightly, "Yep, cuz if ya were, that would constitute your qualification as an emergency. And, if you were serious about offin' yourself, you wouldn't call us every time. Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." He started to back away, but a tightening of Matt's hands on his shoulders stopped him.

Trying to control her temper, Jo looked him straight in the eye, "You can walk out of here peacefully and ride down to City with us, or I will Duck Tape your ass to that board and drag you out of here myself. Your choice."

Cody stared at her for a long moment, sizing her up. "Let's go." he finally said, bowing his head in defeat.

Jo quickly zipped up the bag, put it over her shoulder, and grabbed a handful of Cody's shirt just incase he decided to change his mind. She caught Matt's eye as they left the bathroom and started out of the apartment building. He looked like he couldn't decide whether to be impressed or turn her in for abuse. She made a mental note to explain her tough love tactics to him later.

Cody didn't speak again as he climbed up onto the stretcher and waited for the doors to close and the ambulance to take off. He knew he'd be getting a lecture from both Jo and the emergency room doctor about getting help for his depression.

Jo opened the small window between the box and the cab so that Matt could hear what she was about to say. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded, steadying herself on the bench beside the stretcher as the ambulance pulled out into traffic. "This is the fourth time in two months, Cody."

"I just can't take it anymore." Cody mumbled, staring down at his bandaged wrists. "I've got so many problems…"

Jo barked a laugh, which caused him to look up at her. "_Problems_? _You_ have problems? We _all_ have problems, son. Somewhere out there today, somebody is gonna lose the job they've had for thirty years. Somewhere out there today, somebody is gonna lose the house they worked _so_ hard to buy because they lost their job when the economy tanked. Somewhere out there today, somebody is gonna find out that the baby they tried so hard to have has just died before it ever took its first breath. Somewhere out there today, somebody's momma is gonna open her front door to a military officer and a chaplain and get the news that her only son had been blown to pieces by a roadside bomb in Iraq. And you think _you_ have problems?"

Cody stared at her, waiting.

"I'm not gonna give you the standard 'You should talk to someone about your issues' speech. I've given it to you three times now, and I _really_ don't like repeating myself. So, I'm gonna tell you what I think once and once only.

"You need to cowboy up. You need to put your big girl panties on and deal with whatever crap you think you have, and _start living_. We've done what we can for you, Cody. It's your call now. If you truly want to end your life, then that's your choice…but it would be a terrible waste of a fine young man."

He frowned, "A waste?"

She nodded, "A waste. I've seen your artwork. It's insane, it's some of the most unique artwork I've ever seen. You've got more talent in your little finger than most people have in their entire body. Don't throw that away. Do something, anything!"

"Like what?"

"There's an elementary school a couple of blocks from here. With funding being slashed like nobody's business, don't you think they'd appreciate a volunteer art teacher? It might lead to you getting a job. You could teach art classes in the park – charge five bucks a head, y'know, somethin' reasonable. Volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Go down to the library or museum and volunteer. Don't just let yourself waste away."

Cody was silent for a moment, thinking hard. "You really think that would help?"

Jo shrugged, "It's all I know to tell you. You're at the point of where the only person who can save you is you. Art is your passion – do something with it and _save_ _yourself_." The ambulance slowed to a stop and she heard Matt get out. "I've seen a lot of people die, Cody. Some people couldn't have been saved and some could've. You're one of them that fall under 'could've'. I've done what I can." – the double doors swung open, flooding the box with sunlight – "It's up to you now."

/

"Remind me again why I do this for a living." Jo said, burying her face in Rabbit's back.

Rabbit looked up thoughtfully from his paperwork, "Um…well, mostly because you _literally_ _don't_ know how to do anything else…and partially because I'm a bad influence."

"Thanks." She moved to the empty space on the nurses' desk beside him and started on her own paperwork. Matt was putting fresh sheets on the stretcher within earshot.

"Kid's got you torn up, doesn't he?"

"Well…not torn up so much as frustrated. You've seen his artwork, right?"

Rabbit nodded.

"I can't understand how somebody that talented can fall into a rut like he has."

He shrugged, "I guess that's why they call them tortured artists."

"Yeah, I guess."

Rabbit finished up his paperwork and handed a copy to a nurse. "Gotta go."

"Okay." She gave him a tight hug, "Be safe."

"You, too. Love you."

"Love you, too." She finished her paperwork in silence, feeling Matt's eyes on her back the entire time. Once she handed the nurses' copy over, she turned around to face him. "Let's go – I'll explain everything outside."

He followed her wordlessly, not sure of what was coming next.

They loaded the stretcher and climbed into the cab in silence. Jo didn't speak until their seatbelts were fastened and the truck was rolling away from the ER.

"I know what you're thinking." she started slowly. "I don't usually talk to my patients like that or get so rough with them. But…every once in a while, you get a patient that requires some tough love. Cody is one of those patients. He really is a good kid, he's just…got a few wires loose. He's got a good heart and _so_ much talent. I've never seen talent like that before in someone so young. For it to just be wasted…" She sighed heavily, "I don't know what's so wrong in his life that he thinks he wants to die. But I know how people like that are; they'll eventually do it right. That's why I got rough with him and talked to him as straight as I did."

Matt nodded, beginning to understand now. "I see."

"Sometimes we have to save people mentally instead of physically. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and say what you gotta say. …If I hadn't let him have it today and if he was to finally succeed at killing himself… I couldn't life with myself if I knew that I _hadn't_ done everything within my power to save him."

"It makes sense now. …I guess I never really thought about stuff like that."

"You will." She looked at him closely for the first time and was struck with how young he was and how much he had yet to learn. "I had to learn that lesson the hard way. So don't forget it, okay?"

/

NOTE: Matt and Cody are my creations. :)


	18. Chapter 18

Tyler awoke with a gasp when the mattress sank with new weight.

"Sorry." Jo said, settling down beside him.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed, "It's alright. How was your day?"

"Eh. Glad it's over." She kissed him gently, "How do you feel?"

"Better." He brushed a stray strand away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. It was still a little damp, which meant she'd been home long enough to shower and dry her hair. "You should've woke me up."

"You need the rest." She kissed him again, "I'm not going to work without you again."

He grinned, "Why? Probie drive you crazy?"

"No, he did fine. I just don't like working without you." She snuggled into him, leaning her forehead against his collarbone, "You've spoiled me."

He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Cody James tried to kill himself again this morning."

There it was. He'd known the moment he'd looked at her that something was wrong. "Yeah?"

"I got pretty rough with him, talked to him as straight as I know how."

"And?"

"I think I might've finally gotten through to him. Hope so, anyway."

He began to rub her back, "I knew something was bothering you."

"He's a good kid. I just hope…" She sighed, "I just hope I made a difference for him."

/

**Two days later…**

"Jo Wheeler?"

"Yeah?" Jo asked, looking up from the saline bags she was counting. What she saw made her forget what number she'd been on. "What are you doing here?"

The change in Jo's voice made Tyler stop counting syringes and look around the open cabinet door.

Cody James stood at the back of the ambulance, a look of uncertainty mixed with determination on his face.

"Your psych hold isn't up yet." Jo continued, moving to the back of the box, "You're AMA."

Cody nodded, "I signed out this morning."

She crossed her arms over her chest as Tyler came to stand beside her, "Your insurance won't pay now."

"I know." He looked up at the two medics, gathering courage, "I wanted to ask a favor from you."

"It couldn't wait until your hold was up?"

"You'd be off that day."

The fact that he knew her work schedule was unnerving, but Jo didn't let that show. "I'm listening."

"I thought about what you said." He gave a little chuckle, "I haven't been able to _stop_ thinking about it. I _do_ want to do something with my life. I want to make something of myself. So...I was wondering…if I could ride with you today."

Several long moments of silence passed as Jo sized him up and weighed her options. She looked to Tyler, who shrugged.

"Your call." Tyler said.

Jo returned her attention to Cody, "Why?"

Cody was silent for a moment. "I've been given chance after chance. I'm obviously alive for a reason. …I want to be something. I want to help people. …I want to know what it feels like to save a life."

"…You'll have to sign papers."

He grinned as he realized what was about to happen, "Already have."

"No cell phones, cameras, camcorders, recording devices, nothin'. I don't wanna turn up on _YouTube_."

Without hesitation, he handed his cell phone up to her.

"And take that crap outta your face. You ride my rig, you look presentable – not like you stuck your head in a tackle box."

As quickly as he could, Cody went to removing his facial piercings.

Jo let another silent moment pass just for dramatic effect. "Get in. And don't touch _anything_."

/

The call came in at 11:15 that morning. An old apartment building was fully engulfed and the fire department was requesting every available hand. The call was Medic 78's fourth of the day.

"Ho-ly crap." Tyler murmured as he looked up at the towering inferno.

Jo gave a low whistle, "Dang."

Thick black smoke billowed up into the sky as flames licked up the sides of the brick building. Dozens of emergency personnel swarmed around the area like ants, and two of Angel Rescue's medevac choppers circled the area, searching for safe places to land as they waited for their next patient. It was like a scene from a Hollywood movie.

As soon as Tyler parked their ambulance in a cluster of other ambulances, he and Jo jumped out and hurried around to the box.

"Stay in the truck." Jo ordered as she helped Tyler unload the stretcher.

"But-" Cody started.

"No buts." she interrupted, tossing the jump bag onto the stretcher and slamming the doors shut.

"Where do you want us?" Tyler asked the firefighter who came to meet them.

"We've got a man down inside." he answered. "Floor gave out under 'im. He's been down for a long time. They should be bringin' 'im out any minute."

As he spoke, four firefighters emerged from the inferno carrying their injured comrade. "I don't think he's breathing!" one of them shouted.

Jo and Tyler met them halfway and immediately went to work removing the firefighter's gear and positioning him onto the backboard. "Hey, buddy, can you hear-" Jo gasped as she took his helmet off.

It was Matt Gowan.

"Matt! Matt, it's Jo, can you hear me?" She leaned in close to him, listening for any signs of breath.

"He's got a pulse, but just barely." Tyler said, "Airway?"

"Crappy. Sounds like he's sucked a lot of smoke. You wanna tube him?"

"Yeah."

She held Matt's head still as Tyler quickly completed the intubation. "Let's get him loaded." As they moved the backboard to the stretcher with the help of the firefighters, and she began to bag him, an explosion rocked the entire block, sending pieces of bricks flying in all directions. Jo grunted when a chunk of brick smacked into her left shoulder blade.

"You okay?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah – let's go!" It stung like mad and she was pretty sure she'd have a nasty bruise, but she didn't have time to worry with it now.

Cody crammed himself into a corner as soon as the ambulance doors swung open. He recognized the man on the stretcher as the EMT who had worked with Jo the other day. "What happened to him?" he asked, watching Jo hook up the monitor.

"Floor gave out." she answered, watching the monitor for a moment before returning her full attention to her patient.

"Hang on!" Tyler called as he pulled away from the scene. "Medic 78, City Hospital…"

Matt's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Jo.

"Hang in there, Matty." Jo said, "We're almost to City."

In the next second, Matt's eyes closed and the monitor went crazy. He'd flat-lined.

"No!" Jo exclaimed, grabbing the defibrillator, "Nonononono! You do _not_ get to die on me!"

"Jo?" Tyler asked.

"Coding!" she answered, quickly checking Matt for broken ribs before she began running the code.

Tyler swore as he maneuvered around a delivery van.

Cody watched as Jo tried several chest compressions before cutting Matt's t-shirt open and delivering a shock.

"Dammit, Matthew! Cody, get over here 'n bag!"

Cautiously, Cody moved to the stretcher and placed his hand behind Jo's.

"Keep it even, okay?"

He nodded and watched as she began to administer cardiac drugs.

"Two minutes." Tyler said over his shoulder. "Got a team waiting."

"Alright." Quickly, Jo analyzed the monitor's readings. Another shock should do it. "Clear!"

Cody yanked his hands away, watching Jo as she delivered another shock.

"Come on!" She continued with chest compressions, "Don't you die on me!"

It was the longest two minutes of Cody's life. He barely noticed when the ambulance stopped and the doors opened.

"Stay out of the way." Jo ordered as she grabbed the monitor, guided the head of the stretcher out of the box and climbed up onto it to continue with compressions.

Cody watched as the ER staff swarmed the two medics. In a matter of seconds, they all disappeared into the emergency room, leaving him behind with the ambulance. He paced back and forth in front of the sliding glass doors for several minutes, burning off nervous energy. Finally, he sat down on the bumper, wishing he could be inside.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Jo and Tyler emerged through the ER doors.

"Well?" Cody asked.

"They're working on him." Tyler answered as he and Jo loaded the stretcher and returned everything to its place. He turned his attention to Jo, "Let me see your shoulder."

She shook her head as she stepped back down onto the pavement, "Later."

He stepped down beside her, "Jo-"

"It ain't broke and it ain't bleedin'. I'll let you see it later."

"Okay." He knew better than to argue when she got that tone of voice, so he shut the ambulance's doors instead. Gently, he put an arm around her waist and guided her into the ER waiting room.

Cody followed them quietly and took a seat across from Tyler.

Jo braced her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands.

Tyler leaned in close and murmured, "You did what you could, babe."

She snorted, "I can think of a hundred things I could've done."

"Yeah, but you didn't have time to do a hundred things."

Cody watched the exchange, wondering if the two medics had ever waited in this room for updates on his condition.

"He's two weeks away from turning twenty-three." Jo said, straightening up in her chair. "…Just ain't right."

The ER doors whooshed open as a distraught young woman rushed through them. She looked to be about Cody's age and about thirty seconds away from hysteria. Tyler recognized her as Matt's wife.

Jo, who had looked up at the sound of the doors opening, stood. "Ashley?"

The woman turned her tear-streaked face toward the medic, "Yes?"

"I'm Jo." She crossed the waiting room floor, "Matt rode with me two days ago. My partner and I-" – she gestured at Tyler – "-brought him in just now."

Ashley nodded, trying to keep calm, "What happened?"

"From what we know, the floor of the apartment building gave out under him. I don't know exactly how far he fell, but I do know he was down for a while. When they got him out and brought him to us, he'd breathed in enough smoke to compromise his airway. We had to intubate him." She took a breath, forcing down the lump that had begun to form in her throat, "On the way here…he flat-lined. I coded him. By the time we got here, I'd gotten a pulse back, but…I don't know if it was enough."

Ashley listened in silence as fresh tears dripped down her cheeks.

Jo's voice wavered as she continued, "The fact that we haven't heard anything yet is good – most of the time we know by now whether a patient…pulled through or not."

With that, Ashley fell apart.

Jo managed to catch Ashley before she collapsed onto the floor. She wrapped her arms around the sobbing young woman and tried to comfort her as tears blurred her vision.

Ashley buried her face in the medic's shoulder, barely able to draw a breath between sobs.

Tyler stood and went to them, putting a hand on Ashley's back.

As he watched in silence, Cody contemplated the fragility and preciousness of life and the speed at which it could be taken away or forever altered. Two days ago, Matt Gowan was helping Jo save his life. Two hours ago, Matt was on duty at the fire station. And now…now there was a pretty good chance that Matt could die.

It was Diana who came into the waiting room, her face grim. Tyler spotted her first and touched Jo's shoulder, getting her attention. "Ashley Gowan?" Diana asked, her voice flat and emotionless.

"Yes?" Ashley sniffled, wiping her cheeks as she looked up at Diana.

Jo looked away, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears from falling as a sick, heavy feeling settled in her stomach. She knew what that tone of voice meant; Matt was dead. She barely felt Tyler's hand settle on her back.

"I'm Dr. Van Dine." Diana paused for a brief moment before smiling, "Your husband's going to be fine."

/

NOTE: Ashley is yet another of my creations.


	19. Chapter 19

"You did good, kid." Tyler said to Cody as the trio returned to the ambulance.

Cody grinned, "Thanks."

"Hop up front for just a minute."

"Okay." He opened the passenger side door and climbed in.

Tyler opened one of the back doors and gestured for Jo to get in, "After you."

She knew what he wanted. There was no escaping now. Sighing, she hauled herself up into the box and waited for him to follow.

Tyler positioned himself between Jo and the cab window just to be safe. "Lemme see it."

Slowly, Jo shrugged off her jacket, unbuttoned her uniform shirt, and laid them across the stretcher. As she turned her back to him and began to work her undershirt up, her shoulder protested with a hard spasm.

Seeing the brief pause that came with the movement, Tyler took over, carefully lifting her undershirt up enough for her to slide her left arm free. The bruise was bigger than he thought it would be. It was a mixture of black, purple, and dark red.

"Is it bad?" Jo asked.

"Well, it's not good." he answered, leaning in close so he could better examine her injury. "It's bigger than I thought it'd be, but the skin's not broken." Carefully, he put his hand on her shoulder, "Move your arm for me."

She moved her arm slowly, trying to ignore the pain.

"You'd know by now if anything was broken." Tyler said, dropping a quick kiss on the back of her neck. "It's one nasty bruise, though."

"I'll be okay." She let him help her put her undershirt back on before leaning backward into him and resting the back of her head on his shoulder, "Sorry I was short with you earlier."

"It's okay." He wrapped his arms around her, letting his open jacket envelop her, and kissed her cheek, "You were stressed."

"That's an understatement." She sighed, "I'm so glad he pulled through."

"Me, too."

"I don't like working on people I know. Especially the people I work with. …Can we stop by and check on him later?"

He kissed her again, "Of course."

"I'm a nervous wreck."

"I know – you're shaking." He tightened his hold on her slightly, being careful of her shoulder, "You need to file an incident report."

She sighed, "I hate those things."

"Better safe than sorry."

"I know. I'm not hurt, I'm just sore as hell."

"Yeah, well, Boone's kinda anal when it comes to paperwork, so…"

She chuckled as she pulled away slowly and went to put her uniform shirt and jacket back on. "Whatever you say, babe." She turned around to face him and gave him a gentle kiss, "Thanks."

He frowned slightly, "For what?"

"For everything." Without warning, her stomach rumbled.

Tyler laughed, "I think it's time for lunch."

Jo grinned despite her blush, "Past time. But, let's make sure the fire department doesn't need us anymore before we go."

/

"What made you get into EMS, Tyler?" Cody asked before taking another bite of his hamburger.

Tyler shrugged, "A lot of things. Things I don't really understand sometimes." He paused for a moment, "I think mostly, though, it was the fact that I wanted to help people. The farther I got into it and the more I learned, the more I wanted to do."

"You've worked a lot of places, haven't you?"

He nodded, "Quite a few, yeah."

Cody sipped his soft drink before asking, "What city was your favorite?"

Tyler dipped a fry into a cup of ketchup, "Here, actually."

"Why?"

"The atmosphere." He elbowed Jo, "And this one."

Jo grinned and elbowed him back.

"What about you, Jo?" Cody asked.

"My brother. As a kid, I pretty much worshiped the ground Rabbit walked on. When we grew up and he got his EMT, I thought it was so cool. I was fourteen and he was eighteen, and I wanted to be just like him. Once he started telling me about all the runs he made, I was hooked."

Cody nodded, chewing thoughtfully on a fry. After a moment, he said, "I think I want to start taking EMT classes. Maybe even paramedic classes."

"It's a big decision." Tyler said.

"And a big responsibility." Jo added.

"I know."

"I thought you were gonna do something art-related." Jo said.

Cody shrugged, "There's not a lot of money in art."

She chuckled, "There's not a lot of money in EMS, either."

He smiled and changed the subject, "So, how long have you two been together?"

Tyler thought for a moment, "We've been partners since March, so…nine months."

Cody nodded, "Uh-huh. But, how long have you been _together_?"

"Um…" Tyler hadn't been prepared for that one. "Define 'together'."

Cody half laughed, "Oh, come _on_, dude! Like it's not blatantly obvious!"

Tyler faltered, looking to Jo.

She shrugged, "I dunno."

He gaped at her, "You're the chick. You have to know. It's a chick thing."

She gave him an odd look as she did some quick mental figuring. "Roughly six months? Maybe six and a half?"

"That's it?"

"Yeah, pretty much. And, don't call me 'the chick' again, okay? That was weird."

"I didn't think partners were allowed to date." Cody said, breaking up the awkward moment.

"We're not." Jo answered, shrugging, "But, Tyler's good friends with the captain, and, well, we're too good 'a team to break up. So nobody says anything."

"Huh." He looked at them for a moment before speaking again, "Soooo…can I see your scars from that shooting at the bank?"

Without hesitation, both medics answered with a simultaneous "No."

/

Three runs later, Jo finally caught a break long enough to go check on Matt. His nurse told her that Ashley had gone down to the cafeteria and that he was asleep, but if she would promise to let him rest, she could see him. Jo promised and added Scout's Honor just for good measure.

She couldn't decide if he was asleep or unconscious. He looked awful lying there with all those wires and tubes coming from his body. It was like seeing Tyler for the first time after they'd been shot. She fought the memory away as she approached his bed and took his hand.

Out of habit, she looked up at the monitor beside his bed, studying the readouts and numbers. All things considered, he was doing pretty well. It was a good sign.

Who knew that just working with him for one day would've made her care so much about him? But, in this line of work, your coworkers quickly became your family, and family takes care of its own. He was a good kid with a level head and a lot yet to learn. And, he had scared the living daylights out of her when he'd flat-lined.

She leaned down beside him, resting her head slightly against his, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "You crazy kid." she whispered, "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again, you hear?"

Slowly, weakly, he squeezed her hand.

Jo smiled, "Atta boy. You hang in there, and you get better, okay?"

Another squeeze.

She could hear footsteps heading toward his room. It was probably one of the aides. As she straightened up, she planted a quick kiss on his forehead, "I'll come check on you again soon."

/

NOTE: Probably going to finish this up with the next chapter.


End file.
